


Happy

by anidalah



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Anakin Skywalker Doesn't Turn to the Dark Side, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angsty Anakin, Anidala, BrObikin, BroTP Obikin, F/M, Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-20
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-06-09 13:29:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6909346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anidalah/pseuds/anidalah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why Anakin wouldn't have actually turned to the dark side, because Padmé and Obi-Wan wouldn't have let him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So this originally started as me obsessing over, logically, why Anakin wouldn't have turned to the dark side and issues with his and Padmé's relationship in the prequel. It started with me using the script from the movie, more as a writing exercise because I haven't really written in literal years but then when I wanted it to deviate I had started forming a plot in my head and voila it evolved into an actual story.
> 
> The prologue starts with the movie script, though it's been tweaked a wee bit, and it will deviate in the first real chapter.

There was a light chill in the air as Padmé collected her ornate robe and walked to the balcony of her apartment in the 500 Republica.  She enjoyed the view of the lights of speeders whirring by, the voices of the people far away a gentle hum to due distance. The sun was setting, but the lights from the restless city hid most of the emerging stars, only the closest and the brightest overpowering the city lights.

“Is there anything I might get for you, my lady?” her golden protocol droid, a loving exchanged gift from her husband, asked from the doorway, curious as to why Senator Amidala was out on the balcony and not in her bedchambers.

“Yes, please make sure all the security droids are working.”  A chilly breeze crosses, causing Padmé to pull her robe in tighter.  “Thank you, Threepio,” she said before he could even reply, knowing full well that the droid will comply without any hesitation or question.  She heard him walk away, closing the balcony doors behind him.

Padmé walked to the edge of the balcony, placing her hands on the railing as she attempted to admire the sunset but was too lost in thought to really enjoy it.  Her head swam as she remembered the meeting in Senator Organa’s office, mixed with thoughts of her current predicament.  She was very pregnant and also very involved at the beginnings of a rebellion.  Though she and the other Senators involved in the petition feared actually uttering those words, they all knew that unless something drastically changed in regards to Palpatine and all his power, it was going to lead to a large-scale rebellion.  She tried to push these thoughts away and just marvel at the sunset, but a flutter in her stomach reminded her that the birth of her child would occur in a time that the democracy she so loved was dying.  She was so lost in thought she didn’t notice the shadowy figure behind her.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Padmé jumped, the surprise freeing her momentarily to her occupying thoughts.  She turned around as if she were checking to see who the voice belonged to, as if she didn’t instantly recognize the voice of her husband.

“You startled me,” she said with a soft smile, momentarily forgetting all she was keeping from him.  She wanted to take some time, even if it were just a moment, to forget the complicated lives they lived and just pretend they were a typical, happy, growing family.  She moved from the balcony railing and made way to the bench, motioning for her husband to join her.

“How are you feeling?” he asked as he complied with her request, sitting beside her and his arm going around her.  He pulled her in close, reveling in being able to show his wife affection after a long, stressful day.

Padmé looked down at the hand on her stomach and said, “He keeps kicking.”  As if on cue a small spot on her stomach ripples as a series of kicks are lain upon it.

“He?!” Anakin questioned as he looked down at his wife’s soft face and smiled.  “What makes you think it’s a boy?” 

“My motherly intuition,” Padmé laughed as she grabbed his robotic hand and placed it on the current location of the kicking on her abundant belly.

“Whoa…” Anakin said, his face showing his surprise at the strength of their unborn child.  “With a kick that strong,” he continued, a mischievous glint in his eyes and that special smile that was typically reserved for the love of his life spreading across his face, “…it’s got to be a girl.”

They took a moment to laugh together.  Moments like this were rare for them and they both wanted to enjoy it.  It was just a simple moment in the otherwise complicated lives of two people who were never supposed to fall in love.  Of course, moments like this were few and far between when you had to hide your love and everything associated with it.  If it weren’t for the pregnancy, their lies might have been able to be hidden forever, but as the due date drew near so did the likelihood that the façade they had sewn together would unravel.

“I heard about your appointment,” Padmé said in regards to Anakin’s recent meeting with the Jedi Council.  She had hoped that even though life as she knew it would be completely changed, as she felt she’d likely be stripped of her duties as a senator, that life for her husband as a Jedi would somehow continue.  Being a Jedi led to a sense of fulfillment for him, despite the fact that he was growing aggravated with the way the Council had been treating him, especially for the duration of the war. “Anakin, I’m so proud of you.”  She looked up at him, her eyes full of optimism that this might be the thing that finally made him happy.  She could tell by the look in his eyes that this wasn’t so.

“I may be on the Council, but…“Anakin started, his jaw clenching in irritation, “…they refused to accept me as Jedi Master.”

“Patience,” Padmé replied, trying to defuse the situation, not wanting to deal with Anakin in one of his moods on top of everything else going on in her life.  “In time, they will recognize your skills.”

Anakin rose from his seat and began to pace about the balcony as he rambled.  “Even with everything I’ve done during this war, they still treat me as if I were a Padawan learner,” he spat, his anger rising.  “They fear my power so they’re holding me back.  That’s the problem.”

“Anakin,” Padmé said softly, hating the fact that her husband was so unhappy, confused, and angry.  The thing that really bothered her about this was that she felt there was nothing she could do about it.  She’d lately felt powerless, between this, the potential rebellion, and their unplanned pregnancy.

Anakin meandered on, paranoia beginning to set in.  “Sometimes, I wonder what’s happening to the Jedi Order.  I think this war is destroying the principles of the Republic.”

Padmé thought back to the meeting earlier that day.  Though she’d promised not to speak a word of it to anyone, including her family, perhaps she could warm him up to the idea of it.  After all, it could very well be related to the constant turmoil he was in.

“Have you ever considered that we may be on the wrong side?”

Anakin stopped pacing momentarily as his eyes met hers with suspicion.  “What do you mean?”

Padmé continued, “What if the democracy we thought we were serving no longer exists, and the Republic has become the very evil we have been fighting to destroy?”

“I don’t believe that,” Anakin retorted, a look of astonishment on his face at his wife’s question, “…and you’re sounding like a Separatist!”  His wife, an avid lover of democracy, whom had sacrificed so much for the Republic even when she was as young as fourteen, was questioning everything they’d both fought so hard and so long for.

“Anakin, this war represents a failure to listen,” Padmé said in what one might dub her Political voice, the one that was so prim, proper, and yet strong and full of tenacity and poise.  “Now, you’re closer to the Chancellor than anyone.  Please, please ask him to stop the fighting and let diplomacy resume,” she beseeched to her husband.  She didn’t want to resort to rebellion.  She didn’t want democracy to fall.  She didn’t want to bring their child into a world of chaos.

“Don’t ask me to do that, Padmé.”  Though Anakin did want those same things as Padmé, the off the record assignment he’d been given to spy on his dear friend Sheev Palpatine had left him feeling raw.  “Make a motion in the Senate, where that kind of request belongs.  I’m not your errand boy.”  He almost couldn’t believe his wife would request such a thing of him, or that the Council would request such a thing of him.  “I’m not _anyone’s_ errand boy!”

Padmé had anticipated that he might not take the request well, but she wasn’t expecting that sort of response.  She could sense that there was something larger was bothering him, something more than what she had just said.  She wondered if it’d been the same thing that had been bothering him that he refused to talk about, or if something else happened at the Council meeting.

“What is it?”

Anakin’s face became emotionless as he replied, “Nothing.”  He guarded his Force signature, knowing that his wife’s abilities with the Force has increased since she became pregnant with his child.

Padmé stood, “Don’t do this.”  She walked over to Anakin, looking up at him, imploring him to open up to her.  “Don’t shut me out.  Let me help you.”  Her concern for her husband was ever increasing since the war started, and even more so now that she was pregnant.  She knew both things had put quite a lot of stress on him, understandably so.

A flash of emotion that Padmé couldn’t quite place crossed Anakin’s face as he said, “You can’t help me…”  Was it hopelessness?  Worry?  Sadness?  Anger?  A mix of all four?  His face returned to stoicism as he continued, “I’m trying to help you.”

Padmé’s worried eyes met Anakin’s as she took a few steps closer to him.  Though his face continued to be void of emotion, but his eyes betrayed him.  He never quite could hide what his eyes were saying from his beloved Padmé nor his former master Kenobi.  His eyes revealed that he was petrified, but of what?  His dreams of her dying in childbirth?  That was part of it, she was sure, but she had sensed that his concerns didn’t end there.

“I sense…  there are things you are not telling me,” Anakin said, stepping away from Padmé and closer to the balcony edge, turning to overlook the city but still keeping his wife in his peripheral vision.

Padmé wasn’t visibly startled, though internally she struggled.  She figured he would have picked up on something, as he was not only her husband but also a Jedi.  She wished she would discuss the potential rebellion with him, but she couldn’t go back on her word to keep those talks private especially with Anakin’s close relationship with the Chancellor.

“I sense there are things you are not telling me,” Padmé echoed the words back with a different accentuation, speaking a little more harshly than she’d intended.  She sounded more like she was scolding a child than speaking with her partner.  She’d been patiently waiting for months for her husband to reveal what had been going on with him, but nothing was seeming to get him to relax and open up.

Anakin averted his gaze, turning to fully face the city as he felt a light blush creep up his face.  Padmé walked around Anakin until she could see his face.  Perhaps this would be an issue that would be better addressed later.  If possible, she would try to bring it up in the morning, before the day had a chance to tire them out.  For now, Padmé was going to let the issue drop.

“Hold me,” she requested, sniuggling her head to his chest, hearing his elevated heartbeat.  “Hold me like you did on Naboo, so long ago, when there was nothing but our love… No politics.  No plotting.  No war.”

Anakin complied, curling his arms around her and pulling her even closer, grateful that she let the discussion drop.  However, she wouldn’t be able to bring this discussion back up in the morning like she wanted.  A few hours later Anakin had to leave the apartment as he’d been summoned by Chancellor Sheev Palpatine to the Galaxies Opera House. 

It started off as a discussion of the ongoing war, with very good news to be had.  The Clone Intelligence Units had discovered the whereabouts of General Grievous: he was hiding in the Utapau system.  Taking Grievous down could be the endgame of this war, so this was wonderful, urgent news indeed.  Anakin would inform the Jedi Council as soon as possible, and it would be likely that the following morning they’d sit and discuss who to send on this important mission.

“I would worry about the collective wisdom of the Council if they didn’t select you for this assignment,” Palpatine said, his eyes still on the play before him.  “You are the best choice by far, but they can’t always be trusted to do the right thing.”  He glanced at Anakin behind him, trying to get a sense of his reaction to see if the young Jedi was taking the bait.

“They try,” Anakin said softly, feeling as if Palpatine were right.  The Council would likely never send him on such a mission, even though he really was the right choice for this particular one.  He’d been the face of the war, the “Hero with No Fear”, so it would have sense if he were the one to end it.

“Sit down,” Palpatine motioned to Anakin, before excusing his aides.  The matters which he needed to discuss with Anakin would be best discussed in the privacy of his viewing balcony, with no witnesses around.  He waited for the door to close behind his assistants before leaning over to Anakin, whom had sat next to him, and continued, “Anakin, you know I'm not able to rely on the Jedi Council.  If they haven't included you in their plot, they soon will.”

Anakin’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.  “I’m not sure I understand.”

“You must sense what I have come to suspect,” Palpatine said, his voice lowering to ensue no one could overhear him.  “The Jedi Council want control of the Republic.   They're planning to betray me.”

Anakin seemed surprised by this drastic accusation.  Though he had been questioning his faith in the Council, he still didn’t think they were capable of such things.  “I don’t think-”

“Anakin, search your feelings,” Palpatine interrupted.  He knew what Anakin was going to say.  For someone who had witnessed so much, the young Knight was certainly naïve.  That’s what made Palpetine’s plan even more brilliant.  It wasn’t hard to plant the seeds of mistrust in young Skywalker.  “You know, don’t you?”

Anakin was quiet for a moment, apprehensive.  He knew it would be best if the Chancellor didn’t know of the Jedi Council’s request, but he didn’t want to lie to his old friend.  “I know they don’t trust you…”

“Or the Senate, or the Republic.  Or democracy for that matter.”

Anakin was once again silent, contemplating, before he responded, “I have to admit my trust in them has been shaken. “

Palpatine hid the smirk that wanted to grace his lips.  Everything was going according to plan.  “Why?”  He just needed to continue to word things carefully and make Anakin believe that he’d come to these conclusions himself.  “They asked you to do something that made you feel dishonest, didn't they?”  Anakin looked down, confirming what the Chancellor had already known.  “They asked you to spy on me, didn’t they?”

“I don’t know…” Anakin muttered, looking away from his friend.  His cheeks began to burn.  He was torn between his loyalty to the Chancellor and the Republic, but also to his loyalty to the Order he’d invested so much of himself into.  If it weren’t for that Order, he was very well aware he would likely still be a slave on Tatooine.  “I don’t know what to say.”

“Remember back to your early teachings, Anakin,” Palpatine goaded as he returned back to his typical sitting position, eyes focusing on the play. “’All those who gain power are afraid to lose it…’  Even the Jedi.”

“The Jedi use their power for good,” Anakin countered.

“Good is a point of view, Anakin,” Palpatine glanced at Anakin, “…and the Jedi point of view is not the only valid one. The Dark Lords of the Sith believe in security and justice also, yet they are considered by the Jedi to be…”

“…evil.” Anakin said, as if it were a question.

“…from a Jedi's point of view,” Palpatine was certain to reiterate.  “The Sith and the Jedi are similar in almost every way, including their quest for greater power.  The difference between the two is the Sith are not afraid of the dark side of the Force.  That is why they are more powerful.”

“The Sith rely on their passion for their strength,” Anakin tried to rationalize.  Internally, he was conflicted.  He couldn’t help but feel that these things Palatine were saying made sense, despite the fact that he didn’t want to believe it.  “They think inward, only about themselves.”

Palpatine turned to Anakin, looking him straight in the eye as he challenged, “…and the Jedi don’t?”

Anakin shook his head, beginning to become irritated at the Chancellor’s irrational suspicion of the very way of life he’d been brought up in.  “The Jedi are selfless.  They care only about others.”

Palpatine smiled.  He knew he was getting to the young Jedi.  “Or so you’ve been trained to believe.   Why is it, then, that they have asked you to do something you feel is wrong?”

 A glimmer of suspicion crossed Anakin’s face as he said, “I’m not sure it’s wrong.”

Palpatine noticed that glimmer was wasn’t fazed.  He was confident he could turn this around easily.  “Have they asked you to betray the Jedi code?  The Constitution?  A friendship?  Your own values?  Think.  Consider their motives.  Keep your mind clear of assumptions.  The fear of losing power is a weakness of both the Jedi and the Sith.”

Anakin didn’t respond as he took in the information Palatine was presenting.  He knew what he should believe, and it certainly wasn’t this.  However, he’d been questioning a lot lately.  Maybe what he was supposed to believe wasn’t really right.  After all, the Council had considerably shaken his faith between the lack of recognition for his war efforts and requesting that he spy on a person he’d been friends with for over a decade, not to mention how they had cost him his Padawan.

“Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?”  Palpatine only spoke after he was sure Anakin had enough time to start to sway back to his side.

“No.”  Anakin looked at Palpatine perplexedly before Palpatine told the tale of a Sith lord so powerful that he could use the force to manipulate mini-chlorians to create life and even stop death in its tracks.  The Dark Lord’s only fear was of losing his power, which he eventually did when his apprentice, whom had been taught everything his master had known, murdered Plagueis in his sleep.

“Plagueis never saw it coming.”  Palpatine smiled, both in remembrance and also because he knew he’d fully won Anakin over in this round.  “It's ironic he could save others from death, but not himself.”

Anakin’s inner turmoil temporarily vacated as he thought about what he’d deemed a more pressing matter.  If this story were true, then he could use this power to save Padmé.  He couldn’t stand to lose his wife and potentially lose his child as well.  “Is it possible to learn this power?”

“Not from a Jedi.”

 

 

 


	2. Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to post this quickly because it actually deviates a bit from the actual canon story line. I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope y'all enjoy reading it.

Early the next morning, Padmé woke to find out her husband wasn’t lying next to her.  This didn’t surprise her in the least, as she didn’t remember him ever coming back after he left to see Palpatine.  She also wasn’t concerned, as she knew he must have just slept in his room at the temple.  Still, she wasn’t happy about waking up alone in their bed. She always cherished their slow mornings together as those were few and far between.

After the young Senator groused out of bed and prepared herself for her day in the ‘fresher, she left her room.  She was happy to see that Threepio had provided her with a small cup of caf, the most she was allowed to have safely per day as a pregnant woman.  Around midmorning, she was surprised to be interrupted by her protocol droid.

“Miss Padmé, there’s and Obi-Wan Kenobi at the door.”

Though she weren’t expecting any visitors this early, especially a Jedi Master, she was pleasantly surprised by this visit.  Though they didn’t always speak that often, Padmé had grown to consider Obi-Wan a close and personal friend.  She instructed her droid to let Obi-Wan in.  The pair made small talk while the golden droid brewed the Jedi a cup of tea, handing him the tea before departing the room.

“Has Anakin been to see you?” Obi-Wan asked as he got comfortable on one of the luxurious couches in the sitting room.

“He’s been to see me a few times,” Padmé underemphasized.  Anakin had made it abundantly clear that he didn’t want Obi-Wan to have any inclination to believe they were together, so she didn’t want to give him one.  “I heard he was accepted on the Jedi Council.  I’m very happy for him.”

“I know… He deserves it.”  Obi-Wan took a sip of the tea, being careful not to get any in the moustache portion of his facial hair.  He smiled as he continued, “He is impatient, strong will, very opinionated, but truly gifted.”

They both laughed for a moment before absentmindedly sipping at their drinks and a strange silence filled the air.  Though at first Padmé hoped that Obi-Wan was just coming over for a friendly chat, it became apparent to her that this wasn’t so.  She worried he suspected her and Anakin’s relationship, but couldn’t help but believe that Obi-Wan knowing wouldn’t be a bad thing.  True as it may be that Obi-Wan was a stickler for the rules, he was often much softer and more willing to bend when it came to his former Padawan.  If anyone could help her with Anakin, it was definitely Obi-Wan Kenobi.  However, she didn’t see how such help could happen if he didn’t know the whole story.

But Anakin had made her promise not to tell his master anything.

Finally, Padmé spoke and she set down her caf.  “Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”

Obi-Wan smiled, leaning back onto the couch.  “You should be a Jedi, Padmé.”

Padmé returned the smile softly.  “You’re just not very good at hiding your feelings, at least not from me.”  He certainly didn’t need to know about her temporary Force abilities granted by the growing baby inside of her.

Slowly, the smile vanished from Obi-Wan’s face as he began to cut to the chase.  “It’s Anakin,” he said, his face full of concern and Padme tensed much less subtly than she had hoped.  “He’s become moody and detached.  I don’t think it’s just because of the issues that have arisen since he became a part of the Council yet not a master.  The problem seemed to begin long before that.  I was hoping he’d have told you something that we can use to figure out what is going on.”

A slight blush crept up Padme’s face, despite the stoic politician front she put on.  “Why would he discuss Jedi business with me?”

Obi-Wan knew Padme wasn’t being completely honest.  She was a politician, after all, and as such was very good at avoiding questions and most other forms of politician talk.  He knew, or at least assumed, Padmé wouldn’t outright lie, especially not to him.  Of course, he had known about Padmé and Anakin’s relationship.  To what extent it had happened, he wasn’t quite sure, but he had every reason to believe things were quite serious between the two.  He’d sometimes wondered how the other members of the Council hadn’t sensed it as well.

Finally, Obi-Wan spoke, a knowing gleam in his eye.  “You two aren’t very good at hiding your feelings either, especially not from me.”

“Don’t look at me like that.”  Padme instinctively turned away, despite wanting to just tell Obi-Wan everything.

Obi-Wan observed his old friend, knowing why she was turning away.  He contemplated the best way to go about bringing the matter up, deciding to come right out and say, “I know how he feels about you.”

“Oh _kriff_ ,” Padmé thought a Huttese expletive she’d sometimes heard Anakin say when he was especially frustrated.  Her head remained high as she tried to keep a calm demeanor, though her best efforts didn’t disguise her panic radiating through the force.  She thought quickly, trying to figure out how to get this conversation ended and onto another topic.  She couldn’t foresee a way to do so, however, so she decided instead to access the damage.

“What did he say?”

Obi-Wan was still calm, as he almost always was, but he felt as if his head were spinning.  He was almost afraid of what he might find out once this box was opened.  “Nothing.  He didn’t have to.”

Padmé stood, abandoning her caf as she walked towards her balcony doors and stared out at the city.  She didn’t say anything.  She knew there was no point.  In a way, she felt foolish.  How could they have believed that Obi-Wan had no idea after all those years?  The countless battles they’d been through during the Clone Wars and Anakin finding any excuse to get away from his Jedi duties to see her were just breadcrumbs leading Master Kenobi to an obvious answer.

Obi-Wan rose from the couch, taking only a few steps towards her.  “Padmé, I know you both too well.  We’ve been through too much for me not to see that you two are in love.  I’ve suspected as much since the first Battle of Geonosis when you two came to rescue me.”

Padmé froze, eyes wide, afraid to breathe.  He’d known for that long?  “Why haven’t you said anything until now if you’ve believed these things for all this time?”  She turned to glance back at Obi-Wan, wanting to see his face as he answered.

“Initially, I had hoped Anakin would come to his senses in his own time,” Obi-Wan began, remembering his infatuations in his days as a Padawan with a certain Mandalorian duchess as well as one with a fellow Padawan learner.  “I thought nothing really serious had happened and he was just confused and his feelings would pass.”

Obi-Wan began to pace back and forth as he continued.  “After some time I realized that wasn’t going to happen, but during that time so much had happened.”  He stopped pacing for a moment, looking down, allowing a small moment of weakness to be revealed, “These wars have taken a lot of us, a lot out of him.  I noticed he would get beaten down, especially when the Council falsely believed his Padawan to be a criminal and kicked her out of the Order.”  He looked her dead in the eyes as he said, “You were the only thing that could really make him happy.”

A moment of silence passed before Padmé spoke.  “What makes you think I was what was making him happy?  How could I be the one to do that?”

Obi-Wan was actually becoming frustrated by Padmé’s politician antics.  “I think it’s time that we’ve stopped this charade, Padmé.  I know you two are in a romantic relationship of some form.  I can sense a force-sensitive lifeform forming inside of you as we speak that I have ample reason to speculate is also Anakin’s child.  If I had any intention of informing the council of these things I would have done so long ago.  So please, stop this façade and let’s discuss what’s going on because I’m afraid what will happen if we’re too late.”

Padmé was taken aback.  During battles, she’d occasionally hear Obi-Wan get frustrated and be blunt, but not once had be spoken to her in this manner.  She was curious as to how long he’d known about her being pregnant but wasn’t going to ask.  She knew he was right and that it was time for all the information she and her husband had been hiding to come out in the open, but she also knew it’d be best to not break a promise to her husband when he was already so fragile.  She would still somewhat keep with her Politician tactics, but only so she wouldn’t break her promise to her husband.

Padmé looked Obi-Wan dead in the eyes as she said, “I promised Anakin I wouldn’t say anything to you.”  Technically, she wasn’t breaking her vow of silence but she knew Obi-Wan would fully understand what that sentence meant.

Obi-Wan was silent for a moment, trying to figure out a way to discuss the issue without breaking Padmé’s promise.  After all, with Anakin so moody and angry the last thing he needed was to feel like he couldn’t trust the two people who could help him.

“Are you going to see him tonight?” Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully.

Padmé nodded.  “He may be over sooner than that, but this evening for sure he’ll be here.  Why are you asking?”

“Perhaps you can talk to him when he comes here,” Obi-Wan contemplated.  “Then we can talk to him tonight.  We can get everything out in the open and then get to the bottom of whatever the problem is.”

“I think that would be the best course of action.”  Padmé was relieved Obi-Wan was willing to drop the subject for now, but knew this meant they had a rough night ahead of them.

“I’ll be at my place in the temple if you need to contact me before dusk,” Obi-Wan said as he started making a motion towards the door.  “I hope all goes well, for all of us.  May the force be with you, Padmé.”

“May the force be with you, Master Jedi.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

During the time Obi-Wan was visiting Padmé at her apartment, Anakin was once again visiting Palpatine in his office.  The Council had decided to send Master Obi-Wan Kenobi to eliminate General Grievous the previous night.  Anakin protested, insisting that he should have been the one to go, or at least that he should have been going with his former master on this mission.  Once again, the Council ruled that he wasn’t fit for such an assignment.

The Council, including Anakin, was very curious as to why Obi-Wan requested to leave for said assignment on the morrow instead of immediately, especially with Obi-Wan being so cryptic about why he made that request.  Still, since Obi-Wan rarely, if ever, asked the Council to make such exceptions, it was permitted.

“There are rumors in the Senate about Master Kenobi,” the Chancellor mused.  “Many believe he is not fit for this assignment.” 

 “Not fit?” Anakin questioned curiously.  “Why would anyone think that?”

 “They say his mind has become fogged by the influence of a certain female Senator.”  Palpatine has become rather skilled at gearing the young Jedi to think and ask certain things over the years and was quite pleased with the results.  He knew the seed of mistrust he was about to plant was going to benefit him quite nicely, but he had to be patient with this one or it could backfire completely.

So far, it was working.  Anakin had become more and more paranoid over time of his beloved Padmé loving someone else.  With her beauty and kindness, it was easy to see how desirable she was.  With him not being able to see her as often as he’d like, he’d wondered if she’d try to find someone else, someone she could see more often.  He always thought it’d be another politician or a guard who spent far more time on Coruscant than he did.  He’d never really suspected another Jedi, though.  It was entirely possible Palpatine could be referring to another Senator.

“That’s ridiculous,” Anakin said a little too quickly.  “Who?!”

Palpatine glanced at Anakin, knowing his plan was working.  “No one knows who she is…  only that she is a Senator.”

“That’s impossible.”  Anakin tried to rationalize it in his mind.  There were tons of female Senators and this rumor was preposterous.  Logically, Anakin knew that.  He also knew logically that if Obi-Wan were indeed enjoying the company of a female Anakin would likely be informed of such pleasantries, even if it were just in passing.  “I would know,” he said out loud in an attempt to convince himself.

Palpatine turned to face Anakin as he said stoically, “Sometimes the closest are the ones who cannot see.”  He saw a flash of panic grace Anakin’s face before the young man’s brow furrowed in thought.  Palpatine decided that was enough for the moment, as he didn’t wish to overdo it and cause it to backfire.  “Idle Senate gossip is rarely true and never accurate. I'm sure your Master will do fine.”


	3. Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm just gonna be frank with y'all. I have a plan to post this every 5 days since I'm technically done (right now I just need to edit the epilogue) and I didn't post it this morning because idk I'm a lazy fuck? And middle middle middle... I remembered to post this after a few beers, and my tolerance is down because I haven't been able to drink all semester and idk why I feel like it's so important to post this even though I'm inebriated but? So if something is... idk fucked up tell me? Cuz I likely won't remember to check when I'm sober (haha).  
> Also... I've been out of writing a really long time, so to all those who kudos and bookmarked... that meant a lot to me. Thank you.  
> Anyways... Enjoy.

                Considerations of the events of the morning weighed heavy on Padmé’s mind as she stood in front of the ‘fresher mirror in her apartment.  First, the early morning discussion with Obi-Wan followed by a meeting with other senators to discuss the proposed “Petition of the Two Thousand” would be exhausting for a normal, healthy person.  Being extremely pregnant wasn’t helping with her exhaustion, nor her worries.

                Padmé examined her growing stomach in the mirror, remembering all the things she needed to fix not only for the greater good of the Republic, but also for the sake of her growing family.  She was deeply concerned by the Chancellor’s power grabs over the course of the war.  She was concerned about the fact that a new Chancellor hadn’t been elected in far too long.  She was concerned about the safety of all those dear to her because of this Force-forsaken war.

If she was honest, what she was most concerned about was whatever had been plaguing her husband.  She knew his issues were more than his nightmares.  She knew there was something, many things, he was keeping from her and she was becoming afraid to find out.  A small kick in her belly reminded her that she couldn’t allow herself to give into those fears and surrender.  She smiled softly as she looked down and enjoyed the peculiar feeling of a small lifeform moving inside of her, a lifeform created by the love she and her husband shared.

She exited the bathroom and headed into her living room, seeing Anakin sitting on the couch where Obi-Wan sat earlier that day.  She smiled at her husband.

“Anakin, I didn’t expect you to be home so soon.  How is everything?”  She began to head to the same couch Anakin was sitting on.

Anakin didn’t look up from his work as he said, “I sense someone familiar.  Obi-Wan’s been here, hasn’t he?”  He was tense as he said this, but Padmé thought nothing of it as he’d been tense more often than not as of late.

“He came by this morning.”  Padmé was still pleasant, hoping to have some affectionate time before delving into serious matters.  Still, she’d decided against sitting with Anakin on the couch and instead stood near the couches.

“What did he want?”  Anakin looked up at his wife and she knew there wasn’t going to be any affectionate time.  He was obviously already bother about something; she just didn’t know what that something was.  She needed to approach the topic at hand lightly.

“He’s worried about you.”  Padmé’s reply was honest, yet didn’t reveal the depth of their discussion.  It was a safe opening move, assuming Anakin wasn’t in a paranoid mood.

“You told him about us, didn’t you?”  Anakin cut straight to the chase, something Padmé was hoping could be avoided.  She needed to deter the situation from becoming that serious that quickly.  Besides, she technically hadn’t told Obi-Wan anything.

“He’s your best friend, Anakin.”  She decided to sit on the couch across from Anakin, where she’d been sitting when Obi-Wan first came over.  “He says you’re under a lot of stress.”

“And he’s not?” Anakin quickly countered.

“You _have_ been moody lately,” Padme added.

Anakin sulked.  “I’m _not_ moody.”

“Anakin!”  Padme huffed, extremely frustrated already.  “Don’t do this again!”   She wasn’t going to let him avoid the question this time.  His secrecy was putting a strain on their marriage and she wasn’t going to let them get to a place where their issues would be irreconcilable, especially not with their child going to be born anytime within the next month and a half.

“What have you been keeping from me, Anakin?” Padmé questioned, her voice softening and concern showing on her face as she looked at her husband.  “Why don’t you feel like you can open up to me?”

Anakin was silent for a while as thoughts whirred in his head.  He thought about the conversation he’d had with Palpatine that morning, about Obi-Wan’s potential mistress.  He thought about Darth Plagueis and his power to keep people from dying, a power Anakin had once sworn he’d achieve.  He thought of his mother, whom was on his mind now more than ever.  He thought about all his issues with the Council, from their lack of trust in him to their mistakes that cost him his beloved Padiwan Ahsoka.

He thought about the war and all the time it’d taken from him, all the scars he’d both physically and mentally gained from it, and about all the fear it’d caused him.  This fear wasn’t for his own safety, not even for a moment.  He was afraid of the war taking even more people from him than he’d already lost.  He thought of their baby, something that both excited and terrified him.  What kind of life could the baby have if they’d lost Padmé like his dreams predicted?  Even though he’d be willing to give up his life as a Jedi for his family, it didn’t mean he really wanted to give it up, especially is the baby wasn’t actually his.  All these thoughts were very overwhelming to the expecting father.

“I feel…  lost,” Anakin finally murmured out after careful contemplation.

Padmé quietly gasped.  Even though he hadn’t really said much, she was still surprised that her husband was willing to admit that anything was amiss at all.  “Lost?  What do you mean?”

Anakin didn’t know where to begin.  There was just so much, too much.  If Padmé and Obi-Wan were discussing him having problems, then he must not have been handling things as nearly as well as he’d thought.  Despite this, he didn’t want to discuss what was really bothering him.  He made an attempt to change the subject.

 “I think I found a way to save you.”

“Save me?”

“From my nightmares.”

Padmé thought a moment, knowing him feeling lost and him finding a way to save her must have been connected in some way but not sure how.  She just needed to figure out how to get him to explain this.  Her eyes lit up as she found such a question.

“Have you discussed your nightmares with anyone other than me?” Padmé asked and Anakin immediately tensed.  She sensed that meant she was heading in the right direction.

Anakin stammered, “I told you I somewhat discussed them with Master Yoda-“

Padmé interrupted.  “Who else have you talked to about them, Anakin?  Not just your nightmares about me, but also the ones regarding your mother.”

Anakin sat in quite contemplation for a moment, trying to understand what his wife was getting at.  “I mentioned those to Obi-Wan a few times, and maybe off-handedly to the Chancellor.”

This tidbit of information caught Padmé’s interest.  She knew she’s have to be extremely delicate questioning him about his old friend, especially with his outburst the night before, but she sensed those questions were the right direction to go in.  “What did you talk to the Chancellor about this morning?”

Anakin looked up at his wife confusedly.  “What does that have to do with anything?”

Padmé sat on the couch across from him, looking into her husband’s eyes as she said with sincerity, “I’m trying to find a way to help you.”

“Help me?” Anakin questioned, a look of surprised confusion gracing his face.  “I’m supposed to be the one helping you!”

“We’re supposed to be helping each other,” Padmé said, her voice calm and steady.  She feared getting emotional would set Anakin off and they’d get nowhere.  “That’s part of being married, Ani.  It’s not supposed to be this one-sided thing.  You’re not just my Jedi protector anymore.  You’re my husband, my partner.  So please, let me help you.”

Anakin sulked in silence for some time before asking, “What did you and Obi-Wan do this morning?”

Now Padmé was the one that was confused.  “I already told you we talked about you.  We’re worried about you.”  She answered quickly, wanting to get back to helping her husband, not yet understanding these two issues were related.

Anakin huffed as he rose from the couch, walking a few paces to stare out at the city from the balcony doors before repeating the question again with a different affliction.  “ _What_ did you and Obi-Wan _do_ this morning?”

“I drank caf, and he drank tea,” Padmé responded, her brow furrowing in irritation, still perplexed as to why Anakin was asking this question.  “I don’t underst-“

Anakin’s jaw clenched in frustration he turned back to look at his wife, snapping, “Is there any _kriffing_ chance that the baby isn’t mine?”

Padmé was taken aback, as she’d never heard Anakin aim a question at her with that much venom in his voice.  “Of course it’s yours, Anakin.  Who else would it-“  She stopped talking as a wave of realization washed over her.  Initially, she was maddened her husband would even ask such a question and her face reflected as such.  Then, her face softened as she realized what he needed to hear.

She got up from the couch and walked to her husband, grabbing his flesh hand in hers as she began to talk.  “There’s no way in the galaxy this baby isn’t yours.”  She looked up into his eyes. Though his face shown with rage, his eyes showed there was a lot more he was feeling: fear, sadness, and confusion.  She continued to speak, “There’s no one else I’d want to be with but you.  There’s no one else I’d ever even consider giving up my position in the senate for.  You’re the only one I’d want to run away and have a family with.”  She grabbed his other hand with hers and he began to soften.  “Please tell me why you would ever question my love and loyalty to you, so I can make sure it never happens again.”

A sheen of tears glossed Anakin’s eyes.  This had been exactly what he’d needed Padmé to say to him but it was still difficult for him to open up about such things.  “I haven’t been able to see you as much as I’d like…” he began, not really sure where to go to from there.

“I know,” Padmé responded, making sure to validate his feeling.  “I’d like to see you more often as well and going months without seeing you at time these past few years has been awful.”

“I thought maybe you’d have found some other politician, or at least someone who spent a lot more time here on Coruscant, to get you by.”  Anakin averted his wife’s gaze, not wanting her to see the raw emotion in his eyes.  “Maybe someone who could make you far happier than I ever could.”

“Anakin, I never even considered being with someone else,” Padmé said as she reached up to cup his cheek, feeling his warm tanned skin beneath her palm.  “I wouldn’t have married you if I thought anyone else in the galaxy could make me feel the way you do.”

Anakin sighed as he looked out into the city, the sun just beginning to set.  “What the Chancellor overheard this morning made me a lot more suspicious, even though I knew I had no reason to doubt you.”

“Palpatine?” Padmé questioned, her mind racing as her own suspicions increased.  Her face remained stoic and she tried to calm the internal chaos so that Anakin wouldn’t sense it, even though she suspected his own emotional chaos was preventing him from doing as such.  “What did he overhear?” she questioned in the best proper, senate voice she could muster.

“He overheard that my master has been… spending time with a senator,” Anakin paraphrased, knowing Padmé would understand what he meant.  “He didn’t know who the senator was, just that she’s a female.”  He looked back at his wife, surprised to see fury across her face.  “Padmé?”

The Senator walked away to send a hologram.  She pressed a few buttons before calling out, “Master Kenobi?” not even bothering to hide the exasperation in her voice.

Anakin looked at his wife, puzzled, but stayed away.  He was still under the impression that Obi-Wan had no inklings of their marriage and didn’t want Obi-Wan to know that he was at the Senator’s apartment to late in the day.

After a few moments, Obi-Wan’s hologram appeared.  “Is everything alright, Padmé?”

“I would like to request that you get over here right now, Master Kenobi,” Padmé said sternly.  “Things have taken a dramatic turn and I believe I’m going to require your assistance.”


	4. Talks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting sober this time (ha!) and much earlier in the day than usual.  
> I really, REALLY enjoyed writing this chapter (and even editing this one) because I feel like this should have happened in the movies with how George Lucas wrote the characters. It just really bothered me how he made Obi-Wan and Padmé so strong, and like how much they obviously loved Anakin, but they really didn't try hard enough. Plus, the Council! Practically effin served Anakin to the Sith on a silver platter!  
> Anyways! I digress! As always, kudos and such are very much appreciated (like really. I can't express how much. If y'all were here irl, I'd hug you so hard). I hope you enjoy the chapter!

                Obi-Wan had quickly made his way to the 500 Republica apartment in which Padmé resided and was currently sitting on the same couch he’d been on that morning.  Once again, he’d been offered tea and accepted.  The major difference was that Anakin was also sitting across from him, not just Padmé.  His former Padawan looked disgruntled and was fidgeting, confused as to what was going on but sitting quietly at the insistence of Padmé.

                “I think we should begin by getting everything about the past out in the open,” Padmé began as she set her tea down on the table.  “That way we can get it over with and not have to address it while we attend to more pertinent matters.”

                Anakin’s shot Padmé a look showing displeasure at this idea, and Obi-Wan felt a spike of anxiousness radiate through the younger man’s Force signature.  Anakin was still fully convinced that his former master should absolutely not know about their relationship, and he was completely unaware that a lot of their sneaking around was in vain.

                Of course, Obi-Wan noticed this.  “You can relax, Anakin.  I already know you two are together and I’ve known for quite some time.”  Anakin shot Padmé another look, this one accusatory, prompting Obi-Wan to say, “She hasn’t told me anything.”

                “I promised you I wouldn’t, Ani,” Padmé said as she turned to her panicking husband, “but he obviously knows very well what’s going on.”  She placed a hand on his leg, giving it a light squeeze in an attempt to comfort him.

                “Indeed,” Obi-Wan continued.  “I’ve known Padmé’s been pregnant, with what I presumed is your child, since a little after we returned from the Outer Rim Sieges.  It’s futile to continue this charade, Anakin.”

                “I think he can help you, Ani,” Padmé said as she took moved her hand from his leg and grabbed his flesh hand.  “He can help us, but we need to let him know about us.”

                So, though they had to do some coaxing with Anakin, they told Obi-Wan everything.  They told him about the beginning, when Anakin attempted to weaken Padmé’s resolve in the lake house and how they fell in love.  They told him how Padmé confessed her love when they thought they would perish on Geonosis.  They told him of them rushing to get married at the start of the war, and how they snuck around between missions and battles.  Anakin ended by telling Obi-Wan about his recurring nightmares and how the ones about his mother had come true.  He spoke of how he was desperate to make sure those dreams of Padmé didn’t come true as well.

                Obi-Wan was quiet a moment, taking in all he had heard.  Even though he never had done such a thing in his life, he understood why Anakin would take such a risk and go against so many of the Jedi Codes.  The only thing that really surprised him was that at no point Anakin left the Order, for which he was grateful but still couldn’t fathom why that almost logical course of action wasn’t one that Anakin acted upon.

                “Why didn’t you ever leave the Order?”

                Anakin felt his heart drop.  “Would you rather I have?”

                Obi-Wan shook his head.  “No…  Don’t think that, Anakin, but I do know you very well and it seems like something you would have done, especially since it’s one of the main things keeping you from your wife.”

                “I wouldn’t let him leave the Order for me…”  Padmé chimed in.  “I know how important it is to him.”

                “We both know that if he wanted to leave the Order, nothing could have stopped him.”   Obi-Wan stroked his beard in contemplation.  “Why did you stay in the Order?”

                “To protect innocent people from the war?  Because I worked so hard at being a Jedi that I couldn’t give it up, not even for my life?” Anakin thought, Obi-Wan hearing the questions through their Force bond.  “Because I couldn’t give up my loyalties to you…”

                Obi-Wan felt a blush creep up over his face, not used to hearing such emotion, especially not geared towards him.  He fought the urge to spout the Jedi Code at his former Padawan, because at this point there were no reason to keep going on about how attachments were forbidden, as Anakin very obviously already had several of those.

                And if Obi-Wan were to be completely honest with himself, he would admit that he, too, had attachments.

                “I wish you had told me sooner.” Obi-Wan decided to change the subject.  “I’d like to think I would have been a great help.”

                “I thought you’d inform the council,” Anakin replied, eyes looking to the floor as if he were a child about to be scolded by a parent, and he squeezed his wife’s hand for reassurance.  “You’re a very faithful Jedi, Obi-Wan, and you always abide by the Jedi laws.”

                “ _Almost_ always,” Obi-Wan was sure to emphasize as he leaned foreward.  “I wouldn’t have begun to train you if I always abided by the rules.”

                Anakin glanced up at Obi-Wan a moment as he quietly said, “That was only due to your loyalty to Qui-Gon.”

                “I think you’re underestimating my loyalty to you.”  Obi-Wan stood up and began to pace as he had earlier, trying to distance himself from the raw emotions as much as possible.  “As I said to Padmé earlier, if I ended to tell the council about the two of you I would have done so years ago.”

                “I’m very grateful for that, Master.”  Anakin thought a moment before asking, “Why?”

                Obi-Wan’s pacing stopped as he looked at Anakin.  “What?”

                “You know better than I how attachment is highly forbidden,” Anakin began.  “It’s one of the more highly regarded and enforced rules.  This really isn’t comparable to you training me because it was Qui-Gon’s final request.  We both know if they found out, even if I had cut all ties with Padmé, I’d likely be out of the order.  We both know that since you’ve known about us for so long that they would consider even removing you from the order, so I ask why?  Why would you risk this for me?”

                Obi-Wan was silent for a moment as he looked upon his former apprentice, the man who he considered a brother.  He’d never admit it out loud, but he loved the young man as if he really were of blood.  He paced around a bit, trying to gather the nerve to answer Anakin’s question.  After all, he knew him to well for the Jedi Master to lie to him.  “I want you to be happy, Anakin,” he finally said, reiterating what he’d told Padmé earlier.  “She’s the only thing that’s been able to do that since the start of the war.”  He really wished to stay away from such emotional business, so he decided to get to the matter at hand.  “So, Senator Amidala, you required my assistance?”

                “Anakin has heard some rumors from Palpatine,” Padmé said, trying to not sound bitter but failing to do so.  “Something about you taking the company of a female senator, though he didn’t know which female senator it was.”

                Obi-Wan raised his brow in interest, understanding what Palpatine had been trying to get Anakin to believe.  Though this only further raised his suspicions of the Chancellor, he kept his force shields up and his demeanor inferred indifference.

“I see.  Obviously, these reports are false.”  Obi-Wan returned to the couch, taking a drink of his tea.  “Why did this even come to be brought up in the first place?”

                “He said he didn’t think you’d be fit to fight General Grievous,” Anakin said, starting to become edgy.  He couldn’t understand why they were so untrusting of his old friend.  “He said that the senator’s influence was clouding you.  He thought I should have been the one to on this assignment.”

                “Interesting,” Obi-Wan said before sipping his tea again.  He was remaining casual, as if this were a typical conversation and not him and Padmé trying to get to the bottom of what was bothering Anakin, and if they also found out what Palpatine’s real intentions are would be a real perk.  “What else did your dear friend Palpatine have to say about that?”

                “He worries the Council has plans to betray him,” Anakin retorted, “…though I can see why he would think that.  However, he also thinks they want to control the Republic.”

                “Why is that?” Obi-Wan asked, genuinely perplexed as to how Palpatine could make Anakin believe that.  He was almost certain Palpatine was telling Anakin lies to shake his trust in his other relationships, but why?  Perhaps that was why Anakin was filled with such turmoil.

                “He believes the Jedi want more power,” Anakin said as his gaze lowered to the ground, doing a lot of thinking himself.  Explaining the things Palpatine said to him to both Padmé and Obi-Wan was starting to clear his mind and making him look at these conversations much more objectively.  Did Palpatine really fear the Jedi overthrowing him, and if he did why?  He’d served as Chancellor longer than anyone else in the history of the Republic and had been granted more power than anyone before as well.  Was this really due to his concerns for the war, or did Palpatine have some other motive?

                “More power?” Obi-Wan echoed, knowing full well that assumption was incorrect.  He knew all the members of the high Council very well and their political power was really no concern for them.  The mass power obtained by the Chancellor in a few short years, however, was what alarmed them.  “Power is not a want of the Jedi.”

                “I know,” Anakin said, having heard this spiel since he’d joined the order and cited it aloud, “…Jedi serve others, rather than rule over them, for the good of the galaxy.”  He signed, looking up at Obi-Wan.  “You must admit it’s concerning that the Council requested I spy on Palpatine.”

                Padmé, having not heard of this mission before, looked surprised to hear this.  She wondered if the Jedi were just as concerned as she, and the other Senators who had planned the Petition of Two-Thousand, was about his vast amount of power.  “Why was this requested of my husband?”

                “It doesn’t seem as if Palpatine is going to step down any time soon, even though the war is hopefully nearing its end,” Obi-Wan began, “…and the immunities he’s been granted are a cause for alarm at the Temple. Anakin seems to be the only one outside of his committee that he trusts-“

                “So the Temple shares our concerns?” Padmé asked, not knowing if she should be relieved or concerned by the fact the Jedi agreed that something was going on with Palpatine.

                “Why is everyone so against the Chancellor?” Anakin snapped, already frustrated, rising from his seat and roughly pulling his hand from his wife’s.  He should have known this was all a plot to incriminate his old friend!  “He’s a good man!  He just wants these powers to help end the war!

                “Ani…”  Padmé said gently, wanting to soothe her husband.  “We want to help you.”

                “That’s not what this seems like.”  Anakin took a few steps towards the door.  “I don’t want to be a pawn in this scheme!”

                Obi-Wan rose quickly, getting between Anakin and the exit of the apartment.  “Anakin, we’re not trying to use you!  It seems as if Palpatine is playing a part in your unhappiness.  For the Force’s sake, he’s trying to get you to not trust the two people who care about you more than anyone!”

                “How am I supposed to believe that?” Anakin countered bitterly.  “It seems like everyone just wants to get something out of me, even the two of you!”

                “Anakin,” Padmé said, going to her husband’s side.  “All I want is your love.”  She grabbed his flesh hand and placed it on her stomach, and he felt a flutter of little feet beneath his palm.  She looked up at him and said, “All I want is for us to be a happy family.”

                The kicks from the fetus calmed Anakin quite a bit and warmed his heart.  It reminded him of all Padmé personally had gone through the past few years for their relationship.  Chances are she’d have to give up her place in the Senate for him and their baby.  She was going to give up everything she’d worked so hard for, just for him.  He looked up at Obi-Wan, whom requested to leave later than the Council had initially wanted to help him.  The man who risked his place in the Order just so Anakin could be in a relationship with the woman he loved and for the first time he thought that maybe he’d been wrong.  Maybe it wasn’t that everyone just wanted to use him as a means to an end.  Maybe the only one that had been using him was Palpatine.

                “I told Palpatine about my dreams of my mother,” Anakin finally said after a long period of silence.  “I told him about how I slaughtered the Tusken Raiders.”  Tears filled his eyes at the dark memory, but he pressed on.  “He told me to kill Count Dooku, even though he wasn’t armed…”  Anakin trailed off, blinking back the tears from his eyes before he continued.  “He told me about Darth Plageuis, the Wise.”

                Padmé looked at Obi-Wan, thinking he might know who Anakin was talking about, but the Jedi Master also shown a look of confusion.  “Darth Plageuis?” she asked, having deduced that Obi-Wan had no idea who this person was either.  “Darth… so he was a Sith?”

                Anakin nodded, not surprised that neither had known who that was.  “He could stop people from dying, using the Dark Side of the force.”

                Obi-Wan visibly tensed, alarm ringing in his ears.  He couldn’t hide as much emotion as he was feeling in this vulnerable state, especially such big information.  This detail had planted an idea in his head, one he’d been surprised had never occurred to Anakin before.  “Is Palpatine a Sith?” Obi-Wan thought, wanting to hear more before he voiced this idea.  Out loud, he said, “What else did he tell you about Darth Plageuis?”

                “There isn’t much more to tell,” Anakin said.  “Just that he trained his apprentice everything he knows, and his apprentice turned on him and killed him in his sleep.”  Anakin paused a moment before adding, “He also said I could never learn the power to stop people from dying from a Jedi.”

                “I see,” Obi-Wan said, doing a magnificent job at remaining neutral, especially considering the circumstances.  It was becoming apparent, to him, that Palpatine was at the very least involved with the Dark Side of the Force and he was likely using this to cloud the mind of his dear friend.  “Did you ever think that these things that Palpatine tell you are a bid.... odd?”

                “Not until now,” Anakin admitted, feeling foolish and naive. 

                “Now that this has been brought to my attention,” Padmé began, her mind racing as pieces were beginning to fall together, “Anakin’s moods are often at their lowest after he’s been talking with the Chancellor.  I thought it had to do with the war, but it seems as if there’s something else.  Why does Palpatine seem to want you not to trust anyone but him?”

                Obi-Wan stood in silent contemplation wondering just that.  Between that, Palpatine’s apparent connection with the Dark Side…  Asking Anakin to kill Dooku.  “Oh, Kriff,” Obi-Wan mumbled, a rare expletive escaping his lips.  “He’s looking for a new apprentice.”

                “Looking for a new apprentice?” Anakin asked, echoing back what his old master had said.  Confusion was evident on his face for but a moment before his face paled, the pieces finally adding up and him realizing what he should have known long ago.  “Sheev Palpatine is a Sith Lord..?”  He wasn’t quite sure if it was a statement or a question, even though he had been the one to say it.

                “We need to call an emergency meeting with the Council,” Obi-Wan said with fortitude.  The sun had long since-set, meaning most -if not all- the Council members currently on Coruscant had retired for the night.  There were many emotions flowing through The Jedi Master.  He was grateful that Anakin hadn’t taken any convincing as to who Palpatine may have really been.  He was ever so briefly angry for not only what the Chancellor had done to the Republic and the Jedi but also to what had been done to his dear friend Anakin.  He was also, in a way, relieved because this meant the war really might be over soon.

                “We need to go now,” Anakin said, grabbing his wife’s hand.  “You’re coming with us to the Temple.  You’d be safer there.”

                Padmé shook her head and pulled away.  “The Council will suspect-“

                “Your safety, and the safety of the baby, need to come before that,” Obi-Wan interjected, much to the young couple’s surprise.  “There’s little doubt that Palpatine doesn’t know of your relationship to Anakin, making you a prime target.  Should the Council decide to take action against him, the safest place for you would be in the Temple.”

                Padmé was about to attempt to argue, but decided against it.  Has it only been her own life she was potentially risking, she wouldn’t have let the matter drop so easily, but she also has the baby to think of.  If Palpatine really were dangerous he’d have no trouble getting to her seeing as they lived in the same building.  “Alright.”

                “We must make haste,” Obi-Wan said before the trio rushed out of the apartment.

~*~*~*~*~*~

                “A _Sith **Lord**_?” Jedi Master Mace Windu repeated after Anakin told him of the trio’s suspicions.  The Council knew something extremely important must have happened for Obi-Wan to call an emergency meeting in the middle of the night, but they never expected to hear something of that magnitude.

                “Sure, are you of this, Young Skywalker?” A hologram Yoda asked, his green ears perked up in alarm.

                “We’ve got very reasonable evidence of this,” Obi-Wan said before he and Anakin told them all the things Palpatine had told him over the years that sounded suspicious.

                “Disturbing, this information is…” Yoda pondered, “but concrete enough for action, it is not.”

                “Though this evidence is extremely compelling and truly did warrant and emergency meeting, we’ll need more evidence before we can take any drastic action.” Windu said thoughtfully.  “We’re going to need to launch some sort of investigation.”

                “I have an idea of what we can do,” Padmé said, hoping to help in any way possible.  “If I may?”

                Though Padmé was a politician, her history left her with much trust from the Council, especially when compared to the other people in the political sphere.

                “What have you to say, Senator Amidala?” Yoda said, choosing to ignore the Force-sensitive life in her growing stomach.  Though the Trio had carefully talked around Anakin and Padmé’s relationship, it became apparent very quickly, at least to Yoda, what had been going on.  However, the matter of Anakin breaking the Jedi Code in that way was something that was much less pertinent than the leader of the Republic being a Sith Lord.

                “We can’t let the Chancellor know we have any suspicions as to his identity as a Sith Lord,” Padmé began.  “I propose Master Kenobi leave as planned in the morning on his mission to fight General Grievous and we all continue as if nothing’s going on.  Since he seems to trust An-… Master Skywalker, and has been dropping rather large hints to him over the years, we send him to talk to the Chancellor after Obi-Wan engages Grievous.  I sense that Palpatine himself will offer up irrefutable proof shortly.”

                Most of the Council nodded in agreement, Master Ki-Adi-Mundi saying he couldn’t have proposed a better plan himself.  However, another Master posed a question.

                “What is to happen if Palpatine is indeed the Sith Lord?” an Aayla Secura hologram asked.  “Surely, we must capture Palpatine but what will happen with the turmoil in the Senate?”

                Padmé spoke before she could really think about it, sensing that this was the right course of action.  “A great deal of Senators have been planning what would happen should we need to overthrow Chancellor Palpatine due to his abuse of power.  A temporary leader has already been decided upon to try to eliminate as much chaos as possible while an election is held.”

                Anakin shot Padmé a look, furious as to why his wife would hide something so big from him.  He let the matter drop for the time being, as he very well couldn’t address his frustration in front of the Council.

                “This temporary leader, who will it be?” Yoda asked.

                “I’m afraid I’ve already said much more than my group has wanted me to say,” Padmé said, knowing that this secret would be safe with those in the room but still not wanting to risk revealing more information.  “I can assure you the Republic will be in good hands should you have to arrest the Chancellor.  We’re supposed to speak with Palpatine in the morning.  I will discuss things with them after that meeting and try to see if we can work together.”

                “Fair enough, Senator Amidala,” Master Windu said.  “Then it’s settled.  Obi-Wan will depart first thing in the morning, and Anakin will speak with the Chancellor when Grievous has been taken care of.  May the Force be with us all.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

                “Why didn’t you tell me about the plan to rebel?” Anakin asked Padmé after he’d snuck her into his room at the Jedi Temple.  Though the bed was small and they’d be rather cramped on it, he felt much better knowing she would be by his side.  It made it easier to protect her.

                “I felt bad for not telling you,” Padmé said as she sat on his bed.  “I wanted to tell you, but the Senate didn’t want the Jedi involved.  There may be severe repercussions for me going ahead and telling the Jedi as much as I have.”

                “If Palpatine is a Sith Lord, the Senate and the Jedi would have to work together,” Anakin said as he laid on the bed, behind where his wife was sitting

                “Exactly.”  Padmé decided to lay on the bed as well, her head resting on Anakin’s shirtless chest and his arms wrapped around her.  “Are you alright, Annie?  How are you feeling?”

                Anakin let out a deep sigh.  “I feel confused, Padmé.  I’ve been angry for so long and I’m wondering how much of that anger is real?  How much of it was encouraged and brought out by the Chancellor?  How could I not have seen this?”

                “He was your friend,” Padmé said, trying to sooth her husband.  “Or, so you thought.  You trusted him.”

                Tears filled Anakin’s eyes.  “How far to the Dark Side would I have gone if you and Obi-Wan hadn’t decided to talk to me tonight?  How likely am I still to join him?”

                “Don’t think about these things, Anakin.”  Padmé scooted up so her face would be next to the Jedi’s and planted a kiss on his cheek.  “What was that Jedi thing Obi-Wan says?  A Jedi only focuses on the present?”

                Anakin smiled.  “Something like that.”  His face returned to being serious.  “What if I had ended up becoming his apprentice?”

                “Anakin…” Padmé sighed.  “Focus on the now.  Let’s just enjoy the time we have together before everything falls apart in the morning.”

                “What if-“ Anakin began to say before being interrupted with a deep, loving kiss.  He gave no protest as he leaned in, attempting to pull his wife in closer (which was difficult due to her ever-expanding belly).

                Padmé pulled away and looked into her husband’s eyes, a look of desperation in her own brown orbs.  “Can we just forget about everything that’s going on and make sure we have at least one last night together?”

                “What did you have in mind, M’Lady?” Anakin asked suggestively, a mischievous smirk on his face.

                Their night was spent truly as if it might be their last.  It was very reminiscent of their nights together after being separated for months at a time, though admittedly much more silent because they had much less privacy than they’d been accustomed to during these sorts of nights.  After the couple had shown their love for each other, they cuddled into each other and fell asleep quickly, but not before making sure to utter one last, “I love you,” to the other before the night’s close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kinda considering taking a crack at writing a smut scene, but I'm not too sure on it. It'd be it's own separate chapter, and it would be posted on the same day that I post the next chapter. But I don't really know yet.


	5. Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't remember if I mentioned this before, but I'm rather smitten with the whole theory that Anakin had borderline personality disorder, but I really tried to capture that in this chapter. There's also much much mushy broTP Obikin in this chapter (I think they're my top broTP.... But I also ship them romantically? I don't even know...)  
> Anyways! As always, please enjoy and review!

                The following morning, thousands of Clone Troopers were on a docking bay near the Jedi Temple, preparing to leave, armed with plentiful blasters, tanks, and other arms of war.  Anakin Skywalker walked by his former master’s side, wanting to see his friend off.  He hoped it wouldn’t be the last time they ever saw each other.  Though he may never admit it to the older man, he had come to rely on him.  He was worried about the potential of him faltering and ending up on the Dark Side without his wise friend’s guidance.

                “I hope you won’t end up needing me to save your skin this time, Master,” Anakin teased, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.  He didn’t want to admit to Obi-Wan what he was really thinking, so he was trying to keep the mood light.  “I’ll be too far away to help you this time.”

                Obi-Wan smiled as he walked onto the loading ramp, stopping to turn and face the younger man. “I have enough clones with me to take three systems the size of Utapau.  I think I'll be able to handle the situation, even without your help.”

                “Well, there’s a first time for everything I suppose.”  The grin slowly left Anakin’s face as a more serious look replaced it.  Maybe he shouldn’t keep it light.  There was a significant chance that they’d never see each other again.  “Master, I have to apologize for all I’ve put you though.”

                Obi-Wan observed him quizzically.  “There’s really nothing to apologize for, Anakin.”

                “Yes, there is.”  Anakin sighed, his face momentarily showing the inner turmoil he was experiencing, not to mention all the guilt.  “I’ve been arrogant and moody.  I’ve doubted you even though you’ve given me no reason to do so, yet you’ve never doubted me even though I’ve given you ample reason to.  You’ve be sticking your neck out for me for a long time-“

                “You’re neglecting to recall all the times you’ve saved mine.”

                “What would I have done if you and Padme intervened last night?” Anakin pondered, continuing to vocalize his thoughts and concerns.  “I could have ended up going along with it.  What if Palpatine really is what we think and I ended up his apprentice?”  He never voiced his biggest concern: What if I’m not strong enough to resist his pull to the dark side?

                “Focus on the now, my old friend.” Obi-Wan placed a reassuring hand on Anakin’s shoulder.  “You may have lost your way for a while, but it wasn’t difficult to steer you back in the right direction.  I have faith you’ll continue to do what’s right.”

                “I wish I shared that faith…” Anakin shifted his gaze away from his mentor.  Though things had previously seemed so clear the night before, he realized that he couldn’t be fixed so easily.  He still felt confused and lost.  He feared his resolve would weaken when was near Palpatine again.  It always had before, so why would that cycle not continue?

                “Anakin?”  Obi-Wan sensed there was much Anakin wasn’t telling him and could feel chaos radiating off of his young friend.  “What is the matter?”

                “Nothing, Master,” Anakin lied, wiping the gloomy look off his face and turning to look at Obi-Wan again.  “I guess I’m just worried about your mission.”

                For a moment the two men looked at each other, Obi-Wan looking upon Anakin with concern and Anakin looking upon Obi-Wan with a sheen of tears in his eyes.  Obi-Wan was startled when Anakin pulled him into a hug, Anakin squeezing tightly the man he regarded as a friend, a father, and a brother.  Obi-Wan hesitantly returned the hug, not used to Anakin, or anyone for that matter, ever showing him physical affection.

                “Thank you, Master…” Anakin said, not releasing the smaller Jedi from his embrace.  “Thank you, for everything.”

                “I’ll be alright, Anakin,” Obi-Wan reassured.  “With the Clone Army, I’ll surely have no problem taking Grievous down, if he’s even there to be dealt with.  I must make haste, but I’ll be sure to return as soon as Grievous is extinguished.  You have my word.”  Obi-Wan pulled away from the hug, taking a few steps up the loading platform.  “May the force be with you, Anakin.”

                “May the force be with you too, Master.”  Anakin walked away, leaving quickly.

                Obi-Wan took a few more steps up the ramp before stopping.  “I’ve got a bad feeling about this…”  He turned and watched the conflicted young man walk through the door back into the building.  He sensed he was still needed on Coruscant, more specifically with Anakin, even though the stubborn man would never admit it.

                “Master Kenobi, we must be leaving soon,” a Clone Commander, Cody, said.  “Is something the matter, Sir?”

                “Just wait ten minutes,” Obi-Wan said.  “I assure you everyone will be on the ship within that time.”  With that, Obi-Wan dashed off, leaving the Commander in a state of confusion.

                Obi-Wan rushed through the same doors Anakin had gone through, running down halls to the wing of the Temple that contained the Council Chambers.  He arrived far more quickly than he ever had before, not even bothering to catch his breath before speaking.

                “Master…  Windu…” he huffed.  Though the Jedi was in extremely good shape, the distance he had run was quite a substantial one in a minute amount of time.  “There is…  a matter… that I need…  to deal with…”

                “What’s the matter, Master Kenobi?” Mace Windu questioned, concern evident on his face.  “You’re supposed to be leaving for Utapau at this time.  I trust this is urgent.”

                “Anakin…” Obi-Wan was beginning to catch his breath.  “He needs me with him… here.  There is much chaos within the boy.”

                “Regarding his relationship with the Chancellor?” Master Kit Fitso asked.

                “I sense there is more than we realize,” Obi-Wan said.  “I sense there is something very wrong, and I think me departing at this time could cause further issues.  I think I may be the only one who can help him.”  _Except perhaps his wife…_   “I’m requesting another master be sent in my place.”

                “I’d be willing to accept the mission,” Kit Fitso said.  Though he had also agreed that Obi-Wan would have been the best fit for this assignment, he also trusted the human Jedi’s judgement, especially in regards to the Chosen One.

                “You’re making a lot of requests to change this mission for reasons pertaining to young Skywalker,” Mace Windu mused.  “We’ll discuss your multifaceted relationship with him when time is not an issue.  I’ll agree to this.  May the Force be with you, Master Fitso.”

                “May the Force be with us all,” Master Fitso replied as he hurried out the door.

~*~*~*~**~*~

                Anakin laid on his bed in his small room at the Jedi Temple.  He was alone, taking the time to contemplate what had happened in the past few days.  He kept obsessing over what might happen if Palpatine really were a Sith Lord. He knew, logically, that if that were true than he’d need to be arrested, but would likely resist and need to be disposed of.

However, Anakin also knew that if Palpatine were a Sith Lord, he would likely be the only one who could teach him how to save Padmé from dying.  He didn’t think he’d be able to function without his beloved wife.  The thought of losing her made him restless.  There had already been so much he’d lost in the relatively short time that he’d been alive.  The last thing he needed was to lose the love of his wife as well.

                It wasn’t like he really wanted all that much out of life.  Just some recognition for his efforts in the war, and to not have the very few things he loved taken from him.  He didn’t ask for freedom.  He didn’t even ask for happiness, nor health of his own. The only thing he really wanted in life was to feel like he was worthy.  Of what, he couldn’t quite place, but something.  Acceptance? Love?

                His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.  He got up from his bed, wondering who was there.  Not many people ever came to visit him in his private quarters, and the few who did weren’t on the planet at the moment.  He sensed who was knocking on the door and became confused.  There was no way Obi-Wan could be there to see him.

When he opened the door, he saw that it was indeed Master Kenobi that was paying him a visit.  “What are you doing here?  I saw you get on the ship for Utapau.  You’re supposed to deal with General Grievous!”

                “I’m needed here.”  Obi-Wan softly smiled.  “I sensed that _you_ needed me here.”

                Anakin tensed, angry with himself for not having a stronger mental shield that morning.  “But the mission-”

                “-can be handled just as easily by another Jedi.” Obi-Wan finished.  “However, helping you is a mission only I can do.”

                “Why are you doing this?” Anakin asked, not being able to comprehend why Obi-Wan kept doing such nice, wonderful things for him and expecting nothing in return.  He didn’t understand why Obi-Wan thought someone like himself was worth the trouble.  After decades of living a life of servitude, going from being a slave in a literal sense to being bound to the Jedi Order, it was almost impossible for him to comprehend someone being altruistic towards him.  “I don’t need you to help me!”  He knew the words were a lie, but he felt better trying to make his former master believe that.

                Obi-Wan was silent.  He knew why he was doing this, but vocalizing such a thing was a completely different matter.  A lifetime of repressing his emotions left it difficult for him to speak of such things. He didn’t know how to admit how truly worried he was about the boy, or how much he cared for him.

                “Can I come inside?” Obi-Wan had finally spoke.

                “Why are you here?!” Anakin snapped, aggressively lurching forward, his face reddening in rage.  “Go to Utapau, Obi-Wan!  I don’t need you here!  I can handle _everything_ myself!”

                “Right, because you’ve been handling everything so well thus far,” Obi-Wan responded sarcastically, happy that this section of the Temple was empty so no one could hear their arguing.  “Why can’t you just admit that you might need a little help?”

                “Why can’t you just admit your motives for wanting to help me?” Anakin retorted, leering down at the shorter man.

                “Motives?” Obi-Wan asked with raised eyebrows.  “What makes you think I have some ulterior motive for coming to support you?”

                “There’s always a motive, Obi-Wan!” Anakin screamed.  “Qui-Gon helped because he wanted me to swear my life to the Jedi Order, and _only_ because of that.  Palpatine has likely only been kind to me since I came here because he wants me to join his side!  Even if he’s not a Sith, he’s likely only taken an interest in me so he can have eyes and ears in the Council!  So again I ask WHY the kriff are you here?”

                A look of realization washed over Obi-Wan.  This time it was he who initiated the hug, pulling Anakin in tightly.  The younger man thrashed, protesting and slinging a stew of curses from various languages at him.  He relented, attempting to use the Force to soothe Anakin, or at the very least communicate that there were no ill intentions.

                “I’m so sorry you feel like everyone wishes to use you,” Obi-Wan whispered, awkwardly stroking Anakin’s back.  “I can understand why you feel that way and I promise I’m not here to do that.”

                “How am I supposed to trust you?” Anakin asked, frustrated tears stinging his eyes.  “Why should I believe that?”

                “Because I care about you,” Obi-Wan said, his own throat tightening as he continued.  He took several deep breaths, trying to force himself to open up.  There was no point in him sending someone else on his mission if he didn’t do everything he could to help the man struggling in his arms.  “You’re my brother, Anakin.”  His voice was quiet.  “I love you…”

                Anakin stopped struggling at those words, shock taking over his body.  He never expected to hear those three words from anyone other than his wife, and he especially never expected to hear those words from Obi-Wan Kenobi.

                “Let’s go inside your room and discuss things.  Please, let me help you…”  Obi-Wan guided Anakin into his room, closing the door behind him.  They sat on the bed next to each other, Obi-Wan pulling his brother and friend into him as the younger boy cried.


	6. Turmoil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for Anakin to talk to Sheev! And time for time to backslide a wee bit... he is (in my head at least) borderline after all. I wonder sometimes if George Lucas realized that he made Anakin have almost every single sign of borderline personality disorder? The Junior Psychologist in me likes to think this was intentional. Honestly, it's part of why I love Anakin so much. He's just so fucking fascinating.  
> Side note though! Anyone else kinda meh about Palpatine's first name being Sheev? Idk it's too close to Steve, which is just casual af. He needed a more ominous or regal sounding name like... Clarence or something.  
> Anyways! Thank you for the reviews and such!!! As always, enjoy and review!

                Many of the Jedi Council were gathered around the Council Chamber, including Anakin and also a few Senators: Padmé Amidala, Bail Organa, and Mon Mothma.  After the Chancellor rejected the senator’s plea that morning to give up his emergency powers and return the constitution to its rightful state, Padmé decided it was time to inform a few Senators she highly trusted about her discussion with the Jedi Council and how the Jedi Master’s shared their concern about Palpatine’s lust for power.  She chose to omit some of the information, deciding it would be best if the Jedi decided to reveal the theory of Palpatine being a Sith Lord.  She brought two of the Senators to the Council Chambers to discuss the possibility of an alliance, knowing in her heart that everyone involved was concerned about the well-being of the republic.

                “Palpatine could be a Sith Lord?!” Bail Organa shouted the question after Anakin recounted some of the information once again before the Council and for the first time to the two Senators.  “If this is true, this could be worse than we could have possibly imagined.”

                “Indeed,” Padmé concurred.  “That’s why I betrayed your confidence and told the Jedi Council.  Even if Palpatine isn’t a Sith Lord and is just a corrupt politician, we would still likely need the assistance of the Jedi to prevent the republic from becoming a dictatorship.  An alliance would likely be the best course of action for both our parties.” If things had turned out any other way, the other Senators would have been furious at her for revealing their plans and their lack of faith in the chancellor.  However, an alliance between the two groups could be the only thing that could save the Republic which they’d all fought so hard for.

                “For the Republic, the best course of action this may be,” a hologram Yoda agreed.

                “So it’s decided then,” Mon Mothma said, eager about this turn of events.  Things had appeared bleak after the meeting, but Padmé’s confession about the Jedi’s concern filled her with a new sense of hope.  They weren’t going to have to deal with the Chancellor alone.  “The Jedi and the Delegation of 2,000 will form an alliance to maintain a proper balance of power in the Republic.  Do the Masters have any inkling of a plan on how to deal with the immediate situation of Chancellor Palpatine?”

                “Considering he refused to release his powers…” Mace Windu began before another hologram appeared.

                “Master Windu, may I interrupt?” Clone Commander Cody said, his blue hologram flickering.  “Master Fitso has made contact with General Grievous, and we have begun our attack.”

                “Thank you, Commander,” Mace Windu said and Cody nodded in goodbye before his hologram disappeared.  “Anakin, deliver this report to the Chancellor. His reaction may be just the thing to distinguish whether or not Palpatine is the Sith Lord we’ve been looking for.”

                “Yes, Master.”  Anakin nodded, leaving the room, knowing there would be no room for arguments but wondering whether or not he’d be able to handle speaking with his old friend after the revelation he’d had the night before.

                “I sense a plot to destroy the Jedi,” Mace Windu spoke after the doors had closed behind Anakin.  “I can’t fathom how we haven’t speculated this before.  The dark side of the Force surrounds the Chancellor.”

                “If he does not give up his emergency powers after the destruction of Grievous, then he should be removed from office,” Obi-Wan Kenobi said.

                “Does the Delegation of 2,000 think they could handle such a dangerous move?” Aalaya Secura asked, not in a demeaning way but as a genuine question.  It was indeed a rather drastic, but perhaps necessary, course of action that would be difficult even for the most competent of people.

                “We’ve been preparing for this very sort of thing,” Organa said.

                “We may need to request some political assistance from the Jedi,” Mothma added.  “Just to ensure this transaction is as peaceful as it could be, as well to ensure that the corrupt politicians we’ll be removing from power will be replaced with apt substitutes.”

                “Only if Palpatine refuses to release his powers, these drastic measures will be taken,” Yoda said.  “Great care, we must take.”

~*~*~*~*~**~

                Anakin quickly made his way to the Chancellor’s Office but hesitated once he’s arrived at the actual building.  Palpatine was his friend and had been for years.  Perhaps what Obi-Wan and Padmé claimed was manipulation was actually genuine concern.  He didn’t want the reality to be that he’d been used all those years.  He didn’t want one of the few people he trusted to actually be merely using him as a means to an end.

                Anakin attempted to stop those thoughts as he entered the elevator, needing to get to the top floor to the actual office.  He attempted to meditate but ultimately failed, his mind refusing to clear.  Maybe the dark side wasn’t a bad as the Jedi had made it out to be.  How could something that prevented people from dying be completely evil?  How could a Council that refused to acknowledge his sacrifices and cost him his apprentice be all good?  Anakin pushed those thoughts away and sighed, this time successfully clearing his mind and meditating for a short while.

                Anakin opened his eyes as the elevator stopped at his destination on the top floor.  He maintained his composure as made his way through the hall, down the to the executive office.  The doors were unsurprisingly wide open, as they almost always were as access to this floor was restricted by passcode.  Palpatine was at his desk, and smiled warmly as Anakin walked in.  The smile seemed of utmost sincerity, further confusing the young, complicated Jedi.

                “Anakin, I wasn’t expected to see you this evening.”

                “Good evening, Chancellor,” Anakin said with a polite nod.  “We just received a report that General Grievous has been engaged.”

                “We can only hope that Master Kenobi is up to the challenge,” Palpatine said solemnly.  Anakin didn’t correct him.  He didn’t tell him that Obi-Wan had never left, with another Master going in his place.  It had been agreed by the Council as a whole, including Skywalker and Kenobi, that this bit of information not be known.  “It is upsetting to me to see that the Council doesn’t seem to fully appreciate your talents,” Palpatine continued, and Anakin fully agreed.  He’d proven himself enough through this war.  They had no reason to doubt him nor his abilities.  “Don’t you wonder why they won’t make you a Jedi Master?”

                It was almost as if Palpatine could read his mind, making Anakin uneasy.  “I wish I knew,” he grumbled.  They acted as if they had no faith in him and little respect for him, yet they demanded more of him than they did any other Jedi Knight.  None of the other Jedi had ever been sent to spy on a member of the senate, much less the chancellor. “More and more I get the feeling that I am being excluded from the Council.”  He paused a moment before confessing, “I know there are things about the Force that they are not telling me.”

                “They don’t trust you, Anakin.”  Palpatine had initially sensed distance from Anakin, but it seemed as if he were slowly working his way back in.  He was curious as to what had happened, but was fully aware he’d need to tread lightly around that issue.  Anakin could not be allowed to catch onto the game they were playing.  “They see your future, your power, and they don’t want to lose theirs.”

                “The Jedi don’t want power,” Anakin repeated the argument once again.

                “Anakin, they sent you to spy on me,” Palpatine said matter-of-factly.  “What other possible motive would they have to do such a thing if it weren’t for power?”

                “They’re worried about all the power you’ve obtained-“

                “-because of the war, and only because of the war, I assure you,” Palpatine interrupted.  He needed to keep the young man on his side and not allow those sorts of thoughts to continue.  “It’s the only way to ensure the safety of the people.”

                “So you’ll release these powers when the war is over?” Anakin asked hopefully.

                Palpatine smiled and walked to face the window.  He hadn’t been expecting that sort of a follow-up question. Fine, if those sorts of thoughts were to persist, then perhaps he just needed to go about this from a different angle.

“Is power really all bad if it’s used for the greater good?”

                Anakin was silent, contemplating. 

                Palpatine continued, walking with Anakin out of the office and starting down the hall.  “Darth Plagieus, for instance.  Though he drew his power from the Dark side, can you really consider the power to save a life to be evil?  Perhaps doing something one might consider terrible isn’t really so if the consequences in the end are that are wonderful?”  He glanced back at Anakin, seeing a perplexed look on the young man’s face.  “Someone with the capacity to do great things like yourself shouldn’t be bound to the lies the Jedi have told you.  Let me help you to know the subtleties of the Force.”  He turned and they began walking out of the office, down the hall.

                Anakin looked down at the shorter man he’d grown to respect and trust, not wanting to understand what Palpatine was saying.  He became weary, wondering if their theory of Palpatine were right.  “How do you know the ways of the Force?” 

                “My mentor taught me everything about the Force,” Palpatine said nonchalantly, “even the nature of the dark side.”

                They stopped walking, Anakin’s eyes widening.  “You’re a Sith Lord!”  He reached for his lightsaber instinctively but stopped, not wanting to be correct, silently pleading that he was just jumping to conclusions.

                “Anakin, if one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi.  If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace a larger view of the Force.  Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Learn to know the dark side of the Force, Anakin, and you will be able to save your wife from certain death. “

                Anakin felt his heart skip a beat.  “What did you say?”  How had Palpatine known about his relationship with Padmé?  Obi-Wan finding out was understandable, considering how much time the three of them had spent together, but Palpatine knowing?  How long had he known? How long had Anakin been but a pawn in Palpatine’s scheme?  He once again felt as if he’d never lived his life for himself.  First he’s been shackled into servitude as a slave, but then he’d ended up a play piece of the Jedi and the Chancellor.  He could now see that he was correct: very few people actually cared about him, and Palpatine certainly wasn’t one of those people.  He pulled out his lightsaber, igniting it and bringing it to Palpatine’s throat.

                “Are you going to kill me, Anakin?” Palpatine asked, far too calm for someone that could be dead in a matter of seconds.

                “I’d certainly like to,” Anakin said, but couldn’t.  Though he no longer trusted the Jedi Council, the Jedi way was still something pure.  He could now understand that’s why he beloved Padawan had left, but still fought for everything the Jedi had stood for.

                “I know you would. I can feel your anger. It gives you focus, makes you stronger.”

                Anakin walked away, turning off his lightsaber and returning it to his clip.  He knew Palpatine wouldn’t hurt him.  He was far too valuable a pawn to be given up on so easily.  “I’m going to turn you into the Council and let them decide how to deal with you.”

                “Of course you should. But you're not sure of their intentions, are you? What if I am right and they are plotting to take over the Republic?”

                Anakin remained silent as he walked away, not dignifying the Sith Lord with a response.

                “You have great wisdom, Anakin. Know the power of the dark side. The power to save Padmé.”

                Anakin stopped a moment, looking back at Palpatine.  He was still petrified of losing his wife.

                Palpatine returned to his office, sitting back in his chair.  “I am not going anywhere. You have time to decide my fate. Perhaps you'll reconsider and help me rule the galaxy for the good of all…”

                Anakin returned to the elevator, more confused than he had been when he’d initially came.


	7. Contemplation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a few more chapters left and even more angsty Anakin goodness! And some much needed BRObikin!  
> Anyways, as always reviews are much appreciated! Enjoy!

                The battle had been won.  Despite his best efforts, General Grievous had fallen to the hands of “Jedi Scum”.  The battle had been long and intense, and Kit Fitso barely escaped with his life.  He thanked the Force that somehow he somehow managed to escape with minimal injuries. As soon as Grievous fell to his death, he requested that Commander Cody send word of the long sought out victory.  Everything on Utapau was winding down and the master would be leaving the next morning, just to make sure the citizens of that planet were truly safe and secure.  Everything was starting to look up for the Jedi Order and the Republic.

                The same could not be said of Anakin.  Though he knew what needed to be done, the second he set foot on the temple grounds his resolve weakened once again and he sulked off into his small quarters.  He wanted to be alone, to think about everything that had gone on in the past few days.  He felt torn, not knowing what to believe anymore.  He felt like he was being used, like everyone just wanted him for something.

                Anakin growled as he kicked off his boots and laid on the bed to rest his eyes, aggravated and lost.  He pondered if the Jedi and the Sith were really any different.  They both seemed to want him for the same reason: to control the Republic.  The Republic was in such a terrible state, but whose fault was it really?  Would it really be better with a new Chancellor, or would everything quickly descend into further chaos?  If he allowed to Chancellor to gain further control of the Republic, then perhaps Anakin would be able to overthrow him and rule the galaxy himself, or with his wife.  They could make everything how they’d wanted it to be, with Padmé residing as the official leader and Anakin eliminating anyone who stood in their way.

                Anakin’s eye shot open as he realized how dark his thoughts were becoming, terrified by them but not knowing who to turn to.  Padmé already had enough to deal with and shouldn’t have to deal with a basket case for a husband, and he especially didn’t want to stress her out with the baby going to be born any day now.  Padmé…  Yet another reason to make sure Palpatine was alive, and another reason to consider becoming his apprentice.  He needed to keep the love of his life alive.

                _Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose…_

Anakin remembered Master Yoda’s words quite clearly, though he found this to be incomprehensible.  How could he give up Padmé?  He couldn’t lose her, not after everyone he’d lost…  Qui-Gon…  His Mother…  Ahsoka.  The Dark Side couldn’t have been the only way to save his beloved, but after months of searching it was the only method he’d found.

                Anakin turned over on his bed, head burying into his pillow as he burst into tears once again.  He was tired of being angry. He was tired of living a double life.  He was tired of not being able to trust anyone.  Most of all, he was tired of being afraid.  He had a faction of the Clone army at his command and he was one of the strongest, if not the strongest, Jedi currently alive.  Yet with all the power he had, he was still so afraid.  He couldn’t remember a time in his life when he hadn’t been fearful of something.

                _I’m not afraid to die…_

Padmé had once said to him before giving him the second most wondrous revelation he’d ever heard, the first being when he found out he was going to be a father.  If only he could return her sentiments of not fearing her death.  Things would have been a lot easier that way.

                How could he raise their child if she died?  He didn’t know how he’d be able to do such a thing.  Every time he saw their child’s face he’d be reminded of her. Every time the child reached a new milestone, he’d miss her.  That’s why he needed to save her, not just for himself but for also their child.

                “What child would want a Sith for a father?” he questioned out loud to himself as he stared vacantly at the wall.  “Padmé would _never_ want a Sith as a husband…”  Obi-Wan would certainly abandon him as well, should be become a Sith.  If Padmé died during childbirth, Anakin would have absolutely no choice but to the leave the Jedi Order.  Obi-Wan would likely visit when possible and Anakin would at least have his child, but he’d have to raise that child by himself.  No matter what he did, it seemed as if he’d end up alone.

                _Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose…_

Anakin heard in his mind once again.  He sat up, let out a deep breath, and began to meditate on just that.  If no matter what he would end up alone, at the very least he could try to not be afraid of ending up that way.  He slowed his breathing, trying to pace it, trying to reach tranquility.  He’d never been very good at meditating and gave up after a half hour of nothing.

                He stood up, deciding he needed to talk to someone…  Knowing he needed to talk to someone.  He made his way out his door and down the hall.  He knocked on a door, hoping the one person he felt could help him was inside.  “Master Kenobi?”

                After a few moments, the door opened to reveal the Jedi Master.  Obi-Wan motioned for the boy to follow inside, knowing that even though they had a breakthrough that morning, repairing Anakin was far from over.  Anakin sat in a comfortable chair, the one he always resided in when he visited his master in his quarters.

Obi-Wan sat across from him, taking a drink of his tea before asking, “Anakin, is everything alright?”

                “Yes,” Anakin said, his voice betraying him and cracking.

                Obi-Wan didn’t vocalize a response, but gave him a look signifying that he knew his friend was indeed full of bantha fodder.

                “No…” Anakin admitted, letting his guard down.  There was no purpose in coming to Obi-Wan for help if he wouldn’t even let him know what was wrong.  “I don’t know how to let go.  Master Yoda told me to let go of all I fear to lose, and I don’t think I can do that.  I don’t see there being any point in doing that now.”

                “What do you mean, Anakin?”

                “We both know that my time in the Order is likely to be running out,” Anakin said, his voice ornery.  “When the baby is born, even if Padmé survives…  They’re going to know that I’m the father.  Even if we don’t tell anyone else, the child’s midichlorian count will give that away.”  He signed, erratically running his fingers through his hair.  “If Padmé dies, though…”

                “You’ll have to leave the Order to take care of the baby by yourself,” Obi-Wan finished.  “Which is why, if she does die, I’m going to leave the Order as well.”

                “Obi-Wan?”

                “You can’t raise a baby by yourself, especially while you’re grieving for your wife,” Obi-Wan explained. 

                “I can’t let you do that.  All you’ve ever wanted it to be a Jedi.  It’s all you’ve worked for, and you’ve already sacrificed so much for me.”

                “I’ve sacrificed quite enough to the Order, and I’ve paid my dues to democracy.  Even though I do enjoy my job as a Jedi, I can’t leave you to deal with this on your own.”  Kenobi had thought long and hard about this since he’d found out about the nightmares.  There was no doubt that this what he wanted to do.  “Besides, Anakin…  This this is only if Padmé dies.”

                “You believe she won’t?” Anakin questioned bitterly, feeling like the older Jedi was just trying to fill him with false hope.  “My premonitions have been right before.  I see no reason to doubt this one.”

                “I’ve been thinking about this a lot the past few days, Anakin, and I’ve an idea as to what’s been going on,” Obi-Wan contemplated.  “Has Palpatine discovered your relationship with Padmé?”

                “…Yes.”

                “If he is a Sith Lord, he’s no doubt an extremely powerful one.  Otherwise, we’d have found him out long ago.  He’s likely sensed the life growing in your wife’s stomach at some point.  You mentioned also that he knew about your dreams about your Mother…”

                “What does that have to do with anything?” Anakin scoffed, not sure what the other man was getting at.  The stream of thought seemed so random to him and his patience was growing thing. 

                “Patience, Anakin. I was about to explain that.”  Obi-Wan took a finished his cup of tea, sadly looking down at the now empty glass.  “What if this time he’s the reason you’re having these dreams?

                “You mean like he’s planting these dreams in my head?”  Anakin furrowed his brows thoughtfully.  “Is that even possible?”

                “I’ve never planted dreams in anyone’s head,” Obi-Wan began, “but I believe it’s entirely possible.  With little practice, I was able to sway your dreams when you first arrived here into much more pleasant ones.  I imagine with practice and the desire, one could learn to plant full-fledged dreams into someone’s mind and I’m sure the Sith could easily use those same powers to plant nightmares into people’s heads.”

                Anakin looked at Obi-Wan thoughtfully, hoping that this theory was right.  “What if you’re wrong and Padmé does die?”

                “If Padmé’s of perfect health, as long as she’s got access to a Medical Droid, she’ll have no issue delivering that baby.  These aren’t problems that happen in the Republic, Anakin.  Our technology is too advanced for this to be an issue.”

                Anakin was silent in thought for a moment, knowing what he needed to do.  “Thank you, Master.  I need to go talk to the Council.”

                Obi-Wan nodded, having an inkling of what Anakin needed to talk to them about.

~*~*~*~*~*~

                Anakin and Obi-Wan made their way to the Council Chambers, announcing that Anakin had extremely important news.  After a short while, the room became full of many important individuals and holograms of some of those who were unable to be there.  Most of the Council were there, as well as the Senators who had made the alliance with the Jedi Order that morning.

                “Important news, you have young Skywalker?” Yoda asked after everyone settled down.  “Must be, for all you have gathered.”

                “Yes, Master,” Anakin said, nodding.  He wanted to make sure to put a plan in motion before the darkness could begin to cloud him again.  “Our worst fears have been confirmed.  The Chancellor is a Sith Lord.”

                Though the idea had been brought up before, many were still shocked when those words escaped Anakin’s lips.  A stunned silence filled the room for some time as everyone took in what those words really meant.

                Padmé vocalized what much of the room had been thinking: “It’s one thing to suspect such a thing, but it’s another thing entirely to find out that this is actually true.”

                “Are you sure?” Mace Windu queried.  “This is a drastic statement that would call for redical action we cannot afford to take unless there’s no doubt.”

                “He knows the ways of the Dark Side.” Anakin tried not to be irritated by Mace Windu’s unsurprising lack of faith.  It’s all he’d ever really gotten for the man during his time in the Order, so why would he act any differently now?  “As Master Kenobi had speculated, he wishes to take on an apprentice.  He told me this himself.”

                “You?” Obi-Wan asked, a hint of scorn evident in his voice.  He would never admit this as he tried to be a proper Jedi, but he had grown to resent Palpatine even before the idea that Sheev could be a Sith Lord was even a whisper.  He sensed that Palpatine was the culprit most times Anakin tried to distance himself from his former Master.  Obi-Wan couldn’t help but take it personally that the Chancellor was trying to take his former apprentice as his own.  “He offered to train you, didn’t he?”

                Anakin nodded silently in response, sensing how much that actually bothered Obi-Wan through their Force bond.

                “We must act quickly, then.”  Mace Windu gestured to a few other Jedi who were there, letting them know that they would be the ones going with him to take care of Palpatine.

                “You will need my help if you are going to arrest him,” Anakin said, very sure of himself about this.

                “For your own good, stay out of this affair,” Mace Windu said.  “I sense a great deal of confusion in you, young Skywalker.  There is much fear that clouds your judgment.”

                “With all due respect, _Master_ , I’m going with you,” Anakin spat a bit more forcefully than he’d initially intended.  They wanted him to spy on the Chancellor yet refused to let him be the one to actually deal with him.  They used him as their poster boy for the war, yet granted him to real sort of respect.  They erroneously banished his Padawan from the order, yet refused to really do anything to make up for those mistakes.  Anakin had enough of their bantha fodder.  “I’m going to be there to deal with him, with or without the Councils help and approval.”

                Much of the room was silent, not knowing how to react to a knight addressing a Master in such a way. True, Anakin often didn’t follow the rules and spoke out of turn, and maybe he had spoken to Kenobi like that during his Padawan days, but he’s never defied someone on the Council outright like that.

                “Much determination, you have, to deal with the Chancellor,” Yoda’s hologram said, not the only one curious as to why Anakin was reacting in such a way but the only one who actually vocalized it.  “Why?”

                “He needs to be eliminated, not just arrested,” Anakin said matter-of-factly.  “He’s very powerful and my skills are going to be necessary.  I know him better than anyone else here, so I’d be a good asset.”

                “True, this is, but more, I sense.”

                “There’s really a lot of reasons.”  _Like the emotional conflict I almost always feel that I’ve come to realize is mostly due to him…_

                Yoda was quiet, waiting patiently for the young Jedi to continue what he was saying.  The old green Master was beginning to wonder himself if things in the Jedi Order needed to change.  He could easily sense the complex feelings almost always flowing through Skywalker, things that had been there since he was a young boy. He felt that had they taught the boy to handle his emotions and his past instead of never dealing with them, he’d have been far better off.

                Yoda knew that had it not been for an Obi-Wan Kenobi and a Padmé Amidala, chances are Anakin would have become a Sith Apprentice.  He couldn’t deny that the Jedi Order had a lot to do with that potential outcome, and he no longer could deny that attachments were likely the very thing that had saved him.

                “He’s too powerful.  He’ll just escape if he’s kept alive.”  Anakin was solemn, uneasy about sharing emotions, especially in front of so many Jedi.  “He’ll just go find another apprentice, and rip them apart from the inside like he did to Darth Maul, and Count Dooku…”  _…and me._

Yoda was thoughtful a moment.  “More you have to say, I sense there is.”

                Anakin noticed the Master glanced just a moment at Padmé’s stomach, causing his own to churn.  He looked from Obi-Wan, to Padmé, to her belly, and back to Obi-Wan.  “You know, don’t you?”

                Yoda nodded in response.  Obi-Wan furrowed his brow, knowing that things could potentially get really bad really quickly.

                Padmé’s eyes widened.  “Anakin…”  _I won’t let you give up your future for me…_ she had said this to him several times during their relationship, and she wanted to say it now.  However, now it seemed as if that were no longer an option.  She supposed that once she confessed her love to him on Geonosis, it couldn’t have been an option anymore.

                 “What’s going on, here?” Bail Organa asked, he and Mon Mothma confused as to what was going on.  Not being Force-sensitive prevented them from knowing of the high concentration of midichlorians located in Padmé’s uterus, much less who the father was.

                Padmé looked at her husband for confirmation that it really was okay to confess their secret.  “I’m eight months pregnant,” she said softly, her proper Senator voice witling away and revealing how vulnerable she felt disclosing this information.  She tightened her loose, flowing dress around her stomach, making the pregnancy especially obvious.

                Mothma’s and Organa’s expression revealed their surprise, though none of the Jedi were.  At least, none of them were until Anakin spoke.

                “She’s pregnant with my child,” Anakin looked back at Padmé, grabbing her hand, “…our child.”

                A soft murmur fell upon the Council, most of them not expecting this revelation.

                “Deal with this matter later, we will,” Yoda proclaimed.  “Dealt with first, the most pressing issue must be.”

                “Skywalker is too close to the situation,” Windu reiterated.  “His judgement is too clouded.  There is much danger if he goes.”

                “Is he not the one the prophecy has spoken of?” Obi-Wan chimed in.  “Would this not be the time he was to bring balance to the force?”

                “This is far too serious a matter to put any weight on a prophecy at this time.” Windu countered.

                “A prophecy, misread could have been,” Yoda added.

                “His skills are invaluable,” Ki-Adi-Mundi refuted.  “With how powerful this Sith Lord must be to have eluded us for so long, we may not stand a chance of even arresting the Chancellor without him.”

                “This matter needs to be taken care of quickly,” Mon Mothma said.  “If the Jedi Council can’t decide how to quickly and efficiently handle this matter, then maybe we need to be ones taking care of it.”

                “This isn’t just some regular corrupt politician,” Windu demurred.  “A non-Jedi confronting a Sith Lord…  that’s basically suicide!”

                “It’s taking far too long to decide if some one person is to go with the Council or not,” Bail Organa asserted.  “Just take a vote.  Right now.  And then go deal with him before this matter gets any worse.”

                “I suppose that could work,” Mace Windu said, just wanting the bickering to stop.

                “I don’t think that would do any good,” Padmé chided.

                “Why do you say that, Senator Amidala?” Ki-Adi-Mundi asked.

                “Anakin and Obi-Wan left fifteen minutes ago when the quarrelling started.  They’re likely already engaging Palpatine right now.”


	8. Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only two actual chapters (plus an epilogue) left after this! Gah! I'm so excited :D I hope y'all are too!  
> Anyways! More BrObikin, because it's good for the soul.  
> I was originally going to have Padme go into labor in this chapter but I said to myself, "Don't do that. Don't be a cliche bitch." Plus I wanted some Padme badassery, because goodness knows they made her too friggin powerless in ROTS even though she's the epitome of female badassness.  
> Anyways! As always, enjoy and review!

                The moment the bickering of the Jedi Council and the Senators began to escalate, Obi-Wan and Anakin seized the opportunity to stealthily step out.  They dashed to a speeder, racing to the Chancellor’s office.  Despite their rush, it was still quite a distance to their destination, so it was going to take some time to get there.  As Anakin expertly maneuvered the speeder, Obi-Wan wanted to discuss the matter at hand.

                “Anakin, are you sure this is what you want?”

                Anakin’s eyes never averted from the path in front of him.  At that moment, there was no question in his mind of what he sought to do.  “I am.”

                “Why?”  Obi-Wan didn’t want to take any chances of Anakin wavering.  He was well aware of the war waging within the younger man.  He also wanted to fully understand why Anakin was doing this, knowing if this were for vengeance it could lead him closer to the Dark side.

                “Is this not what the prophecy spoke of?” Anakin glanced for a moment at Obi-Wan, determination in his eyes.  “Is this not my destiny?”

                “Enough about your destiny!  As Master Windu said, this is bigger than the prophecy!  What do you want, Anakin?  What do you want your destiny to be?”

                Anakin continued to drive while he contemplated.  He couldn’t remember a time anyone had ever asked him that question.  What did he want?  He wanted to stop being afraid. He wanted anger to stop controlling his life. He wanted his family, and those he considered family, to be safe.  For once in his life, he’d like to be truly and completely happy. 

                “I think my destiny is to help my wife raise our children, and for us to be open about our family.  Yet, I don’t think, even if that did happen, that I could ever be happy with Palpatine being alive.”  He sighed.  “Not with what I know now…”

                Obi-Wan looked at Anakin expectantly, knowing the Jedi Knight had more to say.

                “Obi-Wan, for once I don’t mean that out of fear or anger.  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel those things, but there’s more.  I know the galaxy would be better off without him. I feel like this is the destiny the Force is guiding me to, that everything has been leading up to this moment. Maybe after this, I can settle down with my family.”

                “What do you mean by riding the world of Palpatine would be best?”  There were at least a million reasons that Obi-Wan could think of as to why this would be, but he wanted to learn Anakin’s precise reasoning for saying that.

                “As I mentioned to the Council, if he’s merely arrested he’ll just escape,” Anakin reiterated, an exasperated huff escaping his lips.  “He’ll find another person’s life to attempt to destroy, and then cast them aside when he finds a new model like he did to Count Dooku.”  Anakin’s brow furrowed.  “I can’t live knowing that this could happen, and that it will happen over and over again, to so many innocent people, even if they’re people I’ll never know.”  They arrived at the building housing the Chancellor’s office, and Anakin landed the speeder.  “Even if Padmé and I go into hiding and are never affected by the things that Palpatine wants to do…  Even if it means that I die in this battle…  Even if it means that I’ll be left alone to raise a child…  I can’t let this continue.”

                Obi-Wan was stunned, not expecting to hear those words ever come out of Anakin.  After all the deaths he’d already witnessed, after all the people close to him that he’d lost in one way or another, he didn’t want to entertain the notion of losing two of his closest friends.  He didn’t want to admit that he’d grown attached to both Anakin and Padmé.  He didn’t want to vocalize how the prospect of either of them dying made him feel.  He didn’t want to acknowledge how upset he’d been if they had to run away and he never got to see them again.

                He also didn’t expect to see a stark change in Anakin’s Force signature.  Since he’d known Anakin, and especially since the start of the war, it had been rattled with anger and fear.  Though those two things were still there, they were far less prominent.  Anakin’s Force signature was the strongest and the brightest it had ever been. With the help of Obi-Wan and Padmé, Anakin was learning how to let go.

                “Anakin…” Obi-Wan said as they exited the speeder, placing his hands on the one he considered a brother’s shoulders.  He wanted to make sure he’d said everything he needed to say, in case one of them didn’t make it out of this battle alive.  “You are strong and wise, and I am very proud of you.  I have trained you since you were a small boy.  I have taught you everything I know, and you have become a far greater Jedi than I could ever hope to be.”

                “Thank you, Master,” Anakin smiled, hugging the shorter man briefly.  “This time we will do this together?”

                Obi-Wan smiled in return.  “I was about to say that.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

                Part of Jedi Training was learning how to stay calm in stressful situations.  The Masters, especially those who sat on the Council, were exemplary at this.  However, even the most poised Jedi could be brought to frantic frenzy if the stakes were high enough, like if the fate of the whole galaxy were about to be determined.  This was one of those times, and it was also one of those rare times that even Mace Windu lost his calm demeanor.

                “WHY hadn’t you mentioned that they left earlier?  How had no one else noticed that they left?!  We’re Jedi!  How did we NOT sense this?!”  Mace Windu would have been ripping his own hair out, had he had any.  He stopped, taking time to clear his thoughts and calm himself.  He was a Master and as such he needed to quickly regain control.  “This doesn’t matter.”  He motioned to Agen Kolar and Saesee Tinn.  “We need to go.  Now.”  The trio teared out the door, leaving only the Masters that were there in hologram form and the three Senators.

                 “May the Force be with them,” Aalya Secura said.

                “May the Force be with us all,” Yoda said.

                Now that it was fully occurring to Padmé what extreme danger her husband was getting into, she began to feel her pulse hasten.  Her thoughts rushed through her brain and she could only focus on one thought: she needed to help him in whatever way she could.

                “We need to inform the rest of the Senate of the true identity of the Chancellor.”

                “With all due respect Senator Amidala, are you sure that’s what would be best?” Ki-Adi-Mundi asked.

                “Yes,” Padmé stated.  “We need to have Sheev Palpatine established as a criminal of the Republic just in case…” … _in case Ani and Obi-Wan don’t make it_.

                “…in case he escapes from the Jedi,” Mon Mothma finished, knowing what Padmé was thinking so she finished the sentiment in a somewhat more positive train of thought.  “If he escapes and reaches the Senate room before we’ve informed them of Palpatine being a Sith, he may try to turn this around and make it look as if the Jedi Order were plotting to overthrow him.”

                “Excellent point, the Senator makes,” Yoda said.  “Your judgement, I trust.  Inform me, will you, of the Senates reaction to this matter?”

                “Of course we will, Master Yoda.”  Padmé nodded and then turned to Bail and Organa.  “We need to go, now.  For all we know, Palpatine may already be speaking lies to the Republic.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

                Anakin Skywalker exited the elevator on the floor to the Chancellor's Office, Obi-Wan Kenobi right behind him.  The younger man was noticed immediately, as the Sith Lord had anticipated him returning rather quickly.  He was all but certain that his plan was working and soon he'd have a young and strong yet naive apprentice. 

                “Anakin, have you considered my offer?” Palpatine asked with a small smile, far too cheery considering the events that were about to transpire.   His smile faded as he saw Obi-Wan Kenobi beside the man he’d been manipulating for years.  He hadn't anticipated Master Kenobi to be with him, or to even be on the same planet as them for that matter.  He knew the ease at which he'd influenced Anakin wouldn't be the same with the boy's former master standing beside him.

                Both Jedi took a few steps towards the Chancellor, hands resting on their lightsabers.

                “In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic…” Obi-Wan began, removing his robe in his typical pre-battle melodramatic manner.

                Anakin finished, removing his robe as well. “We’ve come to fulfill my prophecy and to bring balance to the Force.”

                As if rehearsed, which really it technically had been due to the years of battling together, they synchronously pulled out their lightsabers and ignited them.

                 “Are you really going to eliminate the only person who can save your wife?” Palpatine queried, believing he could still turn this around or at least hoping this would be news to Obi-Wan Kenobi that threw him off his game.  “You’re willing to give up everything you hold dear just because of the fallacies the Jedi have lead you to believe about the Dark Side?”

                “Even if the Council were wrong about the Dark Side,” Anakin snarled, venom dripping from his voice, “they certainly weren’t wrong about you!” 

                “You’ve failed, Palpatine,” Obi-Wan taunted.  “You played the waiting game and accounted for many things in order to try to convert my old apprentice to be your new one, but there was one thing you never counted on.”

                “Really?” Palpatine asked with raised eyebrows, deciding to play along.  “What is that?”

                “You never accounted for the people who genuinely care about him.”  Obi-Wan smirked.  “It’s not really something a Sith like you could ever understand, so I can see how you managed to overlook it.”

                “Anakin, what makes you so confident that he cares about you?” Palpatine taunted.  “From what it looks like to me, he’s just using you to assist in the Jedi taking over the Senate.”

                “Stop!” Anakin exclaimed.  “I’m not going to be your pawn in your political game.”

                “You’re so insistent of that, yet you’ll be the Jedi’s pawn?” Palpatine sneered.

                “That’s enough, Sheev!” Obi-Wan snapped.  “We Jedi are not trying to take over the Senate, and Anakin knows that.  We’re just trying to give it back to the people of the Republic.”

                “What of your family, Anakin?” the Sith Lord pondered.  “What will become of them?  What about your nightmares?  What about the life of your beloved wife?”

                Anakin’s hands tightened around his lightsaber.  “My wife would never take a Sith for a husband.”

                “If she would really leave so easily, then perhaps she never really loved you in the first place.”  Palpatine knew it was a low blow, but it would also likely be an effective one. He noticed a hesitation in Anakin, a twitching barely visible in his eye and he could sense an angry confusion once again seeping into him.

                Obi-Wan sensed this, too, and wasn’t going to let this manipulation continue any further.  “Sith Lord, you know there’s no doubt that she loves him.  She’d never risk something as important to her as her political career if she felt any less about him.”

                Anakin quickly glanced at Obi-Wan before returning his glare back to Palpatine.  He knew Obi-Wan was right and needed to remind himself that this was just a mind game that was being played.  It was simply more manipulation, and he wasn’t going to fall for it anymore.  He said coldly, “This isn’t going to work, Chancellor.  I may still be confused, but at the very least I know without a doubt that my wife loves and cares about me… and so does my Master.”

                “After all I’ve done for you over the years, you’re really going to betray me now?” Palpatine questioned, starting to become desperate but hiding it well.  “After all the guidance. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even be on the Council.”

                “I’m growing tired of your lies, Palpatine,” Obi-Wan barked.

                “I’m growing tired of YOU!”  With that, Palpatine shot Force lightening at Obi-Wan, catching the Jedi off guard and knocking him down.  The lightening continued to stream on him.

                “NO!” Anakin exclaimed as he rushed toward his adversary and jumped, attempting to come down with his lightsaber.  He wasn’t surprised when Palpatine pulled out a red lightsaber and blocked his attack.  He’d have been more shocked if this hadn’t happened.  This battle certainly would not be an easy one.  At least this had caused the Sith to stop bolting lightning at his former Master.

                “You could have had everything!” Palpatine spat.  “Your wife…  your child…  the whole galaxy on a silver platter, but at the last moment you had to decide to obey the teachings of those fools at the temple!  Very well then.  If you will not be turned, you will be destroyed!”

~*~*~*~*~*~

                Mace Windu had finally arrived at the Tower only to find the only elevator up to the Chancellor’s Office had been broken.  Upon further inspection of the elevator shaft, it was apparent that the elevator wasn't working because someone had planted a small explosive that had already been detonated.

                “Seems someone doesn’t want us up there,” Agen Kolar murmured.  “Skywalker and Kenobi?”

                “Doubtful,” Mace Windu replied.  “What they wanted was to be a part of this battle, not to prevent us from engaging in it.  No, I believe a certain Sith Lord had someone plant this so he would be alone with Skywalker.  There must be another way to his office.”

                The Jedi were silent a moment, sensing around, trying to find if there were a secret way to their destination.

                Saesee Tinn’s eyes shot open as he felt a secret passage located in a basement office.  “The entrance it down below!  I’ve found it!”

~*~*~*~*~*~

                “We have called upon the Senate because an emergency has come to light,” Mon Mothma said. She, Organa, and Amidala had easily made to the Senate Rotunda where they had luckily discovered Palpatine hadn’t been. The Senate murmured, many wondering and vocalizing their confusion as to why the Chancellor weren’t present.

                “Shouldn’t the Chancellor be here if this truly is an emergency?” one Senator vocalized what most had been thinking.

                “I’m afraid Chancellor Palpatine is the emergency.”  Padmé’s Senator voice was loud and unafraid.

                “Senator Amidala is correct,” Mon Mothma said.  “After the Chancellor’s refusal of the Petition of Two-Thousand, we began to investigate and have discovered that our Chancellor, Sheev Palpatine, is actually a Sith Lord.”


	9. Strife

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I tried to write this chapter kind of like how the ending battles are in the actual Star Wars movies, with several things going on and it panning from scene to scene. I hope I did it justice... if not... well, action's not exactly my forte. I imagine most of you are here for the drama, which actually IS my forte so :D  
> And! There's only one more posting. The final chapter and the epilogue, which are going up on the same day... hopefully...  
> Anyways, as always read, enjoy, and review!

                A loud crash echoed through the room as Obi-Wan used the Force to collapse a chunk of the wall on top of Palpatine, the Sith Lord narrowly dodging it with his own use of the Force.  He and Anakin were currently engaged in aggressive negotiations, a flurry of red and blue dancing throughout the now destroyed office.  Obi-Wan was hanging back slightly, using the Force as a distraction so his companion could hopefully land a hit.  Despite his advanced age, the Sith had proved to have quick reflexes.

                “Your persistence is futile,” Palpatine taunted.  He’d spent a good portion of the battle trying to get a rise out of Anakin, knowing the young man would become sloppy as rage took over.  He was having no such luck doing so.  “You two are no match for me.”

                “If I were so weak,” Anakin countered as he brought his blade down on Palpatine’s with one hand and Force threw a chair on him with the other, “then why did you want me to be your apprentice?”

                “Your potential, which the Council is making you deny.”  Palpatine hacked at Anakin a few times, Anakin blocking every blow.  The Sith Lord would never admit it, but Anakin was far more focused than he’d ever been in battle before.  Though his mere strength weren’t as high as it was when he was driven by anger, his increase in skill more than made up for it.

                Darth Sidious had considered that Anakin wouldn’t actually turn to the Dark side, but only for a moment and never seriously.  Why would he have?  Until just a few days ago, everything was going even better than he had planned.  The Council’s distrust of Anakin, their expulsion of Ahsoka, and their constant bickering with each other went so much better than he’d expected.  Padmé’s unplanned pregnancy, not to mention their marriage in general, aided him more than he could have ever imagined.  He didn’t know why a change happened so suddenly, when he was so close to achieving his Empire, but he was furious.  He slashed at Anakin with everything he had, hoping he could somehow still come out on top.

~*~*~*~*~*~

                “There’s no proof that Palpatine is a Sith Lord!”

                “I object to this outrageous statement!”

                Bail Organa and Mon Mothma were panicking, though on the outside they were stoic.  Padmé, however, was extremely and utterly angry.  Her patience had been growing thin over the duration of her pregnancy, and this, she felt, deserved no patience as it was.  She was extremely pregnant, her husband was out there risking his life, and the Senate needed to understand the Chancellor’s corruption so they could quickly try to fix the problems created by him. They didn’t have time for the typical politician bickering.  Something needed to be done _now!_

                “We have come before you to share information that is inarguable.”  Those who knew Padmé best would be able to hear the irritation in her voice.  It was fortunate that the only ones there what could notice said irritation were already on her side.  She attempted to remain as civil and professional as she could, which was really no small feat in those circumstances.

                The young, pregnant Senator continued.  “We cannot distrust information presented to us from the very Jedi that have been sacrificing their lives to protect us from the threat of the Separatists.  We must have faith in the people who are away fighting battles so that we may be safe here at home.”  Her voice was loud and commanding.  Though the mumbles never fully died down, they quieted considerably as they listened to her speech.

                “I would understand your uncertainty had Sheev Palpatine not been increasingly asking for more and more powers over the years.  At least two-thousand of us have been concerned about that very thing and I request that you all follow through on reason.  Sheev Palpatine is a Sith Lord and we must put an end to his regime before it’s too late and the Republic that we know and love is destroyed.  Now that we know this and now that the war is over, it is time for us to vote in a new Chancellor for a new age.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

                Palpatine was becoming desperate.  At one point when he was dodging some debris being thrown at him, Anakin had been handing his former Master’s lightsaber.  Though he managed to parry every one of Skywalker’s hits, there were far too many narrow missed for his liking.  He didn’t want to acknowledge that, in reality, he was no match for two younger Jedi in their primes, one of which being the Chosen one.  Before he knew it, he was being backed up against a wall, nowhere to escape from Anakin’s lightsaber strikes and Obi-Wan’s use of the Force.

                Darth Sidious was going to have to fight dirty if he had any chance of coming out of this battle alive, not that he had any moral qualms with doing so.  He used one hand to rain Force lightening down upon Anakin, which was easily blocked.  However, that was merely a distraction.  With his other hand, he used the Force to cause a considerable chunk of the ceiling to come crashing down on a preoccupied Obi-Wan Kenobi.  Anakin screamed as his friend disappeared into the rubble, and Palpatine was certain he’d created enough of a distraction to allow for his escape.

~*~*~*~*~*~

                The Jedi Masters were quickly making their way up the tower, which was quite a feat as it were twenty stories to the Chancellor’s Office.

                Mace Windu winced as he felt a disturbance in the Force.  He sensed the panic rising up over Anakin Skywalker and pain searing through Obi-Wan Kenobi, which he knew wasn’t a good sign.

~*~*~*~*~*~

                It had been decided; Mon Mothma was to be the temporary Chancellor while a real election took place.  Padmé’s heart soared.  At least they had one victory today, and it was a major one at that.  It was one that might not have happened without her and all the effort she’d put into the war.  All that was left on her part, for the night at least, was to go inform the Jedi Council of what had just happened.  Then she’d be able to go home to rest, and worry about whether or not Anakin would becoming home.

~*~*~*~*~*~

                “MASTER!” Anakin shrieked as he used the Force to flail rubble from the pile, desperately trying to find his Master and further thrashing the room as he did so.  He could sense him alive in the pile, but he knew at least some damage had been done.

                “Complete the mission,” Obi-Wan spoke through their Force bond.

                Anakin ignored him, continuing until he had cleared away a substantial portion of the pile covering Obi-Wan.

                “Complete the mission!” Obi-Wan repeated, this time out loud, his voice muffled by the debris.

                “I’m not leaving you!” Anakin’s voice cracked.  His terror was rising.  He was NOT about to lose Obi-Wan.  He franticly flailed the remaining rumble, finally freeing most of Obi-Wan from the pile.  He let out a sign of relief.  The bearded Jedi had many scratches and bruises, but other than that he seemed to be alright.

                That was, until Anakin noticed the durasteel beam crushing Obi-Wan’s forearm.

                “I need to get you to a medical droid…  a healer…  someone…”  Whoever he found first.

                “No!” Obi-Wan snapped.  “You need to go after Palpatine!  Every moment you waste on me is another chance for him to escape.  Remember what we came here for!  Remember what we’re trying to protect!”

                “You’re badly hurt.”

                “I’ve endured worse injuries.”  It wasn’t a lie.  Obi-Wan had almost died several times.  However, though he’d never admit this to the younger man, almost dying was a lot less painful that having your bones crushed like a bug under a boot.  “If you let him escape, it’ll have lost my arm for nothing, Anakin!  Now please, go!”

                Anakin nodded, promising he’d return later before dashing down the stairs of the hidden passage.

~*~*~*~*~*~

                Sidious smirked to himself at the realization that his distraction worked.  He wasted no time and bolted to the secret passage that was located behind where the Chancellor’s desk once stood.  He had made it several flights down the passageway before he sensed something he hadn’t accounted for: there were three Jedi heading up.  He was so frustrated by the situation, ready to rip his own hair out.  How had everything soured to fast?  Years of delicate planning all for naught because of that stoopa, STOOPA boy!  He had never counted on the naïve young man to cling to the ways of the Jedi at the very end.  Just like that, his visions of running an Empire were done, gone, kaput.  It was apparent that the very day his dreams died, he was going to die right along with him.

                _If I’m going out, I’m going to take that worthless boy with me!_ He continued down a hall, opening a secret compartment in the wall.  He had no intention of hiding, not with all those Jedi searching for him.  It would be pointless.  Even if he had managed to conceal his presence, they would likely just find him hours later.  No, what he was interested were the emergency explosives concealed in the wall, which he has set to detonate in just a few short minutes.

                Just enough time for Anakin to arrive.  All he’d have to do was make sure the boy was near when the bombs went off.

~*~*~*~*~*~

                “Are you sure you don’t want one of us to stay with you, Senator Amidala?” Mon Mothma asked.  She and Bail Organa had assisted Padmé on her ride home after the trio had informed the Jedi Council of their good fortune at the Senate Rotunda.

                “I’ll be alright,” Padmé insisted, smiling at her two colleagues and friends. She was truly happy with their long sought out victory, but the smile couldn’t mask the worry in her eyes.

                Bail Organa didn’t want the young Senator to be left alone for many reasons.  The first being that he now knew that she was very much pregnant. The second being that if the now-former Chancellor escaped, she would likely be the first person he went after.  Thirdly, Bail just didn’t have the heart to let Padmé sit at him alone while Anakin was engaged in a potentially deadly battle.  “Let us at least stay with you until your husband arrives home.”

                _You mean **if** he arrives home…_ Padmé’s smiled faded as those words crossed her mind, and suddenly the thought of being alone was frightening.  She nodded, allowing the two Senators into her home and Threepio offered them all tea.

~*~*~*~*~*~

                “You’ve nowhere to run, Sith Lord,” Anakin provoked as he found Palpatine several floors down the hidden passageway.

                Palpatine was trying to stall while simultaneously draw the boy closer.  He wanted no doubt that the boy was near enough when the small explosives went off.  Though he now knew there was no way to convince Anakin to join him on the Dark Side, he felt such efforts would prove to be a great distraction.  “Do you really wish to strike down the only one who could help you save your wife?”

                “We’ve been through this already.”  Anakin took a few steps toward Palpatine, irritation evident on his face.  “I’m _not_ going to join you.”

                “Once Padmé dies, you’re going to be completely _alone_ , Anakin.”

                “I’ll still have Obi-Wan.”

                “What makes you so sure? His injuries are much worse than he is willing to let you know.”

                “Those are injuries that YOU caused him!” Anakin spat, his grip tightening on his lightsaber.  “I see what you’re playing at and I’m tired of these games.  Let’s finish this.”

                “Skywalker!” a voice from below, Mace Windu, yelled as he ran up a staircase, followed by the other two Jedi he’d brought with him.  “You’ve cornered the Sith Lord!”

                “Obi-Wan’s above and in need of medical assistance.”  Anakin tried concealing the concern in his voice.  “Please, one of you go to him!”

                Mace Windu sent Agen Kolar to take care of Obi-Wan before turning to Palpatine.  “The oppression of the Sith will never return. Your plot to control of the Republic is over.”

                “No!” Palpatine screamed, Force Lightening spraying from his fingertips that Anakin, for the most part, blocked with his lightsaber as he closed in on his foe.

                When the Sith Lord realized that the lightening was somehow not deterring the young Jedi, he pulled his lightsaber out.  He needed to stall.  The Knight was moving in too fast.  He would surely have defeated Palpatine and cleared out long before the bombs went off.  The hate and rage heavily radiated from him, so potent that even a non-Force-sensitive could feel it.

                _Just a few minutes!  I just need to survive for a few minutes!_   Sheev aggressively slashed at Anakin, which were skillfully blocked.  In his fury, the Sith was languid, chaotic, and even less of an opponent for Anakin.  In his tranquility, the Jedi was robust, disciplined, and even stronger in the Force.  He called upon it to sense an opening that he’d have otherwise missed.  As Palpatine hectically raised his saber to strike another blow, Anakin took the opportunity to plunge his sword into the unguarded chest.

                Mace Windu gasped, “The boy has done it… He’s brought balance to the Force.”

                “It seems you have lost, my lord,” Anakin declared as Palpatine dropped to the ground, his life quickly leaving him.

                A faint beeping let Palpatine know that his bomb would soon detonate.  A sickening smiled crossed his face as he realized had done it!  “And so have you.”

                Anakin panicked, quickly understanding what the beeping meant and wondering how he hadn’t sense the bomb sooner.  He knew he didn’t have much time to think, so he grabbed Mace Windu and Saesee Tin, pushing them towards the faraway staircase up and bellowing at them to run.

~*~*~*~*~*~

                “I’m sure he’ll be alright.”

                Padmé was shaken out of her thoughts.  She hadn’t even realized she’d disengaged from her conversation with Organa and Mothma, who had been chatting friendlily about topics not related to the war or the republic by any means.  They had hoped that friendly banter would distract Padmé, but that proved to not be the case.

                “Do you want to talk about it?”

                “No…”  Padmé murmured, trying to ignore the bad feeling in her stomach.  “I’ve been sensing things since I’ve been pregnant and that makes it hard enough as it is to push these things from my mind.”

                Silence filled the room until finally Bail Organa spoke, his curiosity getting the best of him.  “How did it happen?

                “What?”

                “How did you get pregnant by Skywalker?”

                “Bail!” Mon Mothma scolded.  “You don’t just ask people that!”

                “What?  We’re among friends!  I’m allowed to speak candidly!”  He paused a moment, it finally occurring to him what he’d said exactly.  “I did word that a bit crassly, but in my defense I’m a bit mentally drained after everything that’s gone on today.  What I meant to ask is how did this relationship happen and how did you hide it for so long?”

                Padmé decided that, since it was already out in the open, it was time for her to disclose to her friends all about her no-longer-secret relationship.  Anything was better than acknowledging the feeling of dread that was coming over her.

~*~*~*~*~*~

                Anakin’s efforts were enough to get the Jedi Master’s far enough away from the explosion that they suffered minimal injuries.  Only cuts, bruises, and small bits of shrapnel adorned their bodies.  Anakin, however, wasn’t nearly as far away then the bomb detonated.

                As the bomb went off and turned the already dead Palpatine into what was essentially mush, Anakin got thrown from the force against a stone wall and shrapnel, both large and miniscule, littered the back of his body.  His face was bruised and the Master’s were sure at the very least one of his ribs had been broken.  He was covered in blood and bruises and they knew they didn’t have much time.

                Agen Kolar and Obi-Wan Kenobi were making their way down the stairs as Kenobi had been freed from the rubble and fortunately escaped with only one highly damaged, and perhaps irreparable, arm.  When they caught sight of Anakin, Obi-Wan screamed and Kolar abandoned him to help the others attempt to safely and slowly move the Chosen One with the Force over the wreckage.


	10. Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I said I'd have the epilogue and the last chapter up at the same time... at least I think I did, but at the last minute I decided to add more to this chapter, so I didn't have time to edit the epilogue.  
> It should be up tomorrow. Or the next day. Soon. It'll be up very soon.  
> I was so, so, so, so VERY excited to write this chapter! I hope everyone likes it.  
> Anyways, as always read, enjoy, and review!

                “I’m sorry, Senator, but there’s not much more that we can do.”

                The words kept echoing in Padmé’s head as she sat beside the bacta tank that he husband was residing in at the Jedi Temple Halls of Healing.  After countless hours, she had finally stopped crying.  She assumed this was due to the fact she may literally have no tears left to cry.  Her throat was dry, her cheeks a blotchy scarlet hue, and her eyes a swollen, puffy mess.

                She’d been residing in the chair closest to the chamber ever since she’d received word of her husband’s heroic deeds.  She faced away from the chamber, absolutely terrified of how she’d react if she saw how damaged his body was once again.  She knew their child must have sensed the tension, for instead of kicking like crazy as per the norm, for the fetus had been exceptionally still.  No one knew if Anakin was going to pull through. 

                “Senator Amidala.”

                Padmé didn’t bother to look at the little green man walking into the room, not only because she was too miserable to care but also because she could easily recognize that voice.

                Yoda hobbled over to Anakin, having been already informed that things looked bleak.  He placed a hand on the bacta tank, reaching out to the unconscious Anakin through the Force.  The Chosen One’s Force signature was far stronger than his state would make one assume, but Yoda wasn’t surprised by this.  Anakin was possibly the strongest Jedi he’d ever met.  He’d fulfilled his prophecy of bringing balance to the Force, not just by eliminating the Sith threat, but by also causing the Council to begin discussions of changing the archaic Jedi Code.

                “Even now, strong with the Force young Skywalker is.  Give up yet, I would not.”

                “You don’t have to lie to me to comfort me.”  Tears filled Padmé’s eyes once again as she thought of what her life would likely be like in the future; a single mother.  She didn’t know what prospect would bother her more: that she’d have to raise their child alone or that their child would never actually get to meet their father.  “I know what’s going to happen.”

                “Do you now?” Yoda pondered, thoughtfully grabbing his chin.  “Much death I have sensed in my long life.  A fighting chance, Skywalker still has.”  Yoda gave Padmé a sad smile.  “Lie to provide comfort, I would not.”

                “I can vouch for that.”  Obi-Wan Kenobi stood in the doorframe, stopping to examine the patient in the bacta chamber.  He knew that Yoda could sense how upset he was, but he hid it for the sake of Padmé.  Even though he was still concerned, Anakin did look much better than when he’d last been seen in the secret passage of the Senate building.

                Padmé looked up at Obi-Wan, noticing that the Jedi Master’s left hand was now a mechanical one like her husband.  “It’s good to see you, Master Jedi.”  Despite the sadness she was feeling, she still took comfort in the fact that Obi-Wan escaped with only minor injuries – or at least minor compared to the ones that her husband had sustained.

                Obi-Wan smiled at the heavily pregnant senator.  “Padmé, there’s no need for formalities.”  His smile faded as his gaze shifted from her and back to his former Padawan and best friend.  “I know things look bleak, but Anakin is strong.  If anyone could escape from such an injury, it would be him.”

                Padmé felt a surge of fury rise through her.  She couldn’t understand why they were lying to her just to make her feel better.  “Just because of my _delicate_ condition does not mean that you need to lie to me like I’m some child.  The healers all say the situation looks forlorn, so there’s no use in pretending that things look otherwise.”  Her expression was hard like her words, but her eyes betrayed her.  Her eyes showed how afraid she was.

                Padmé couldn’t stand the thought of her husband dying.  She couldn’t stand the idea of their child never knowing their father.  She couldn’t fathom what would happen if Anakin’s dreams were indeed prophecies and their child grew up without either of them.  Her hands roamed her stomach, feeling a bump which she assumed was either the head or the buttocks of her fetus.  She looked up at Obi-Wan, not caring if Yoda heard what she was about to say.

                “Will you raise the baby if we both die?”

                Obi-Wan was visibly startled, not expecting those to be the next words out of Padmé’s mouth.  He felt sick to his stomach.  It was bad enough that he could possibly lose his best friend, but to lose Padmé as well would be too much.  Still, he couldn’t deny her request. At least he wouldn’t have to leave the Order in those circumstances, as the child was most definitely Force sensitive and could be taken as his Padawan.

                “Of course, my lady.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

                Padmé spent the next few days at the Jedi temple, completely shirking her responsibilities as a Senator except on one occasion where they voted in the official new Chancellor -which, to no one’s surprise, was Mon Mothma.  The Council allowed the Senator to stay, even allowing her to spend her nights in Anakin’s room so she’d never be too far from him.  Even though the Council didn’t know how to feel about the relationship, and even with the talks of changing the rules most still didn’t approve, they knew there was no reason to mention the matter now.  Even Yoda and Mace Windu felt Anakin and Padmé deserved to be cut a little slack.  After all, Anakin had indeed fulfilled his prophecy as the Chosen One.

                During Padmé’s many days in the Jedi Temple, she’d encountered many people she’d never met before, as well as a few old faces, all of whom had come to pay their respects to her husband.  From these people, she heard of many of Anakin’s heroic tales during the Clone Wars.  She took pride in how many lives her beloved had saved, not to mention how many people he helped in other ways.  About a week into her stay, a very familiar face she hadn’t expected to ever see again showed up.

                “I never thought I’d be here again…” someone said to themselves as they entered Anakin’s private room, waking Padmé from her uncomfortable nap in her chair.

                Padmé’s eyes opened slowly, shocked by who was standing in the room with her.  “Ahsoka?” she remarked as if it were a question.  The togruta was still rather young, but had definitely physically, and likely mentally, matured in the few years since they’d last seen each other; she towered over the former queen of Naboo now and looked as if she might even surpass Anakin’s height when she finished growing.

                “Senator Amidala!” Ahsoka greeted happily, running over to give her a hug and realizing the increase in the size of Padmé’s stomach as she did so.  She glanced down at it a moment as they pulled out of the hug, noticeably contemplating whether or not it should be addressed.  “That’s Skyguy’s kid, isn’t it?”  A nod was her response.  “I always wondered if you two were together. He wasn’t exactly subtle about his feelings for you.”

                “I’m starting to realize we weren’t as good at hiding our relationship as we thought…” Padmé mused, a sad smile crossing her lips.  “How have you been, Ahsoka?”

                Ahsoka returned the smile and shook her head.  “Don’t worry about me.  What’s important right now is how are you and my old master?”

                “He’s stirred a few times,” Padmé said wistfully, her eyes averting Ahsoka’s as she once again examined her husband.  He had been moved from the bacta tank and into a medical bed, the healers deciding to put him in healing trances on the bed between bacta tank sessions.  “He hasn’t fully awakened at any point, but at least he’s stirred…  and that’s at least a small sign of improvement.”

                Ahsoka reassuringly laid a hand on Padmé’s shoulder, knowing there was likely no words she could say that would really comfort the Senator.  She didn’t know for sure, but she speculated the two had been a pair for quite some time.  She felt the best course of action was to simply let Padmé know she was there for support.  “I’m here if you need to talk, Senator.”

                Padmé sadly smiled up at Ahsoka, tears filling her eyes but not falling.

~*~*~*~*~*~

                Padmé woke for what she felt was the millionth time that night, a massive pain searing through her lower abdomen.  She was sure she knew what the pain meant, but she wasn’t ready for it to happen yet, not with her husband hooked up to life support.  She glanced at a clock, realizing that it had only been about ten minutes since her last bout of pain hit and she was filled with alarm.  She didn’t want to go into labor without Anakin there, but it seemed as if the baby had other plans.

                She gently got out of bed, one hand on her spasming stomach, as she made her way to Obi-Wan’s room down the hall.  She knocked on the door, making sure it was hard enough that he would hear it but still soft enough that it wouldn’t disturb anyone else.  However, that was a moot gesture as a moment later she screamed, doubling over in agony and bracing one hand against the wall so she wouldn’t collapse.

                Almost immediately, Obi-Wan’s door was open and his lightsaber was out, instantly recognizing Padmé’s shriek and assumed in his half-awaken state that she was in some sort of physical danger.  As soon as he saw her, he knew what was going on and turned off his lightsaber.

                “Does…  does anyone here… know how to….” Padmé tried to gasp out after her contraction ended, but was having issues due to being out of breath.

                “They can help you,” Obi-Wan answered as he grabbed Padmé and began to guide her to the Halls of Healing as quickly as he could.

~*~*~*~*~*~

                Anakin’s eyes slowly opened for the first time in a little over a week, the bright lights above him blinding him momentarily.  He felt a dull ache in his head, as well as all over his back.  The main source of his pain was concentrated in a fist-sized circle below his ribcage.  He was guessing that’s where he had sustained the main source of his damage.

                He quickly figured out where he was, but was having a difficult time remembering how he’d gotten there.  The last thing he remembered was stabbing Palpatine in the stomach, and Mace Windu’s astonishment at witnessing him fulfill the prophecy.  It was minutes before he remembered the bomb going off.

                “The coward…” Anakin thought bitterly, thanking the Force that he’d once again narrowly escaped with his life.  He began to scan the room, surprised to actually see flowers and other forms of sentiment on a table to his left.  It appeared as if many people had come to see him during his stay at the Halls of Healing.  He scanned to the right, surprised to see a young, sleeping togruta curled up in a chair.

                “Snips!” he exclaimed, instantly regretting the loud volume and he winced at the anguish he’d caused himself as the dull ache in his head turned into a sharp throbbing.

                Ahsoka jumped, almost falling out of the chair she was in.  “Master?!”  She gasped, hands going over her mouth.  A sheen of tears filled her eyes as she fully took in the fact that Anakin was indeed staring back at her, lucid, awake, and alive.  “Skyguy!  You’re alive… you survived!” Her voice caught in her throat, which she cleared quickly.  “I…  I’ve got to go get Padmé and Master Kenobi!” she exclaimed before dashing off to do just that.

                Mere seconds after Ahsoka had left, several Jedi Healers appeared to examine Anakin, asking him questions to test his coherence and sensing to make sure he was indeed alright. Despite the sharp incline of his health, they insisted that he would likely need to stay in his medical bed for at least another week.  They parted almost as quickly as they came, promising that someone would be bringing him food and water soon.

                Minutes later, Ahsoka returned in a frenzy.  Apprehension crossed her face, as she knew as soon as she told her Master what she’d found out he would be impossible to keep in his bed.

                “Where is Padmé?” Anakin asked as soon as he saw Ahsoka.  He felt a knot of tension in his core.  “Is she safe, is she all right?”

                “I believe so…”  The togruta knew there was no point in hiding this from Anakin, because no matter what he’d be out of bed trying to find his wife.  “Master…  Anakin, she’s going to have the baby.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

                “It looks like you’re going to have a roommate, Padmé,” Obi-Wan said in an uncharacteristically chipper voice, causing Padmé to give him a look that showed just how much she was questioning his sanity.  He had been through quite a lot in the past few years, so it didn’t seem illogical to her that him helping his best friend’s wife deliver a baby while said friend was in something of a coma could be just the thing to finally send him over the edge.  However, she would need him to postpone his insanity; her contractions were only five minutes apart, and his use of the Force was the only painkiller she was receiving.

                Padmé looked out the door curiously, seeing the back of Ahsoka moving towards her.  It seemed as if she were helping the Jedi Healers Force move another bed into her room.  Padmé was hit with confusion until she realized that someone was on that bed, someone she’d desperately wanted to be at her delivery.  She shot out of her bed, not even bothering to try to contain her excitement as her roommate’s bed was placed only a few feet from hers.

                “Ani!” she squealed as she leaned over and wrapped her arms around her husband, trying her best to hug him despite the medical bed railing and her large gut in the way.  It was then she once again began to sob, though this time for a very different reason than she’d been crying for the whole week.  “I can’t believe you’re alive.  Why are you here?”

                “When Skyguy woke up, I went to go find you and Obi-Wan,” Ahsoka began, smiling at her stubborn friend.  “When you weren’t where I thought you’d be, I ran back and one of the healers told me what happened. Once I told Anakin, there was no way he was going to stay in his bed, unless that bed were brought here.”

                Obi-Wan had made his way to Anakin’s bed, standing on the side opposite of Padmé.  He laid a comforting hand on Anakin’s shoulder.  “Good to see you alive, my old friend.”

                Anakin smiled back at Obi-Wan before he noticed.  “Obi-Wan…  Your arm!”

                Obi-Wan shrugged nonchalantly.  “It’s a small price to pay to assist the Chosen One in his destiny.”

                Anakin lifted his own mechanical arm.  “Well, now we match.”  He grinned.

                The moment was interrupted by Padmé screaming as a puddle hit the floor.  “I was wondering when that was gonna happen…” Padmé said all too calmly for someone who’s water had just broke.  Having already been in labor for several hours, plus the fact that her husband miraculously would be there for the birth, she was ready for the whole ordeal to be done with.

                “Padmé?” Anakin questioned, alarm evident on his face.  He sensed that she and the baby were fine, but that didn’t do much to ease the fear in his heart.  He had hoped that Obi-Wan was right and that his nightmares were just that, and not premonitions of the worst thing he could have woken up to.

                “I’m fine, Ani,” Padmé said as if she’d read his mind.  “This is just a normal part of labor.  Everything’s moving along fine.”

                Admittedly, Anakin, as well as most of the Jedi, really knew little about the birthing process.  It wasn’t something that Jedi typically, if ever, had to deal with, so it wasn’t part of the Jedi curriculum.

                Anakin looked at Obi-Wan, knowing his friend would inform him if Padmé were lying to comfort him.  Obi-Wan smiled warmly in response, using the Force to inform Anakin that Padmé really was okay.  Anakin heaved a sigh of relief, giving his wife a chaste kiss before returning to slumber.  He still had quite a bit of healing to do.

~*~*~*~*~*~

                Anakin slept through Padmé’s random screams for the next few hours, secure in the knowledge that Obi-Wan would wake him should it begin to look like his horrific dreams were coming true.  However, it really seemed as though Obi-Wan was right: those nightmares were planted by the now defeated Sith Lord.

                Anakin woke when he felt a pair of hands on his shoulder, shaking Anakin very lightly.

                “It’s time, Anakin.”

                Anakin’s eyes fluttered open and his heart began to pound, fear and excitement radiating from him.  He thought about asking if he were allowed to get out of his bed for this, but only for a moment.  He didn’t care what the Healer’s wanted him to do, not at this instance.  He made a mental note that he would comply with their wishes after this, but there was no way he wasn’t going to witness the birth of his child.

                Obi-Wan made his way to the head of the bed, allowing Padmé to grab onto his now-mechanical hand, grateful that it was at least going to come in handy for this moment.  Ahsoka was on the other side of the head of the bed, running a cool washcloth over the pregnant woman’s forehead, trying to help the impending mother be as comfortable as possible.

                “Padmé, Skyguy…  Are you two ready to become parents?”

                The second those words left Ahsoka’s mouth, a large smile graced Anakin’s lips.  He was going to be a dad!  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

                Though Padmé did scream through the delivery, it bore little resemblance to the screeching Anakin had heard in his nightmares.  This allowed him to actually enjoy watching slow, painful process of Padmé giving birth to their first child.  Tears of happiness filled Anakin’s eyes as a little blonde head began to be revealed, the rest of the baby sliding out soon after.

                After quickly checking to make sure that something hadn’t somehow turned sour and that Padmé was indeed still alive and healthy, Anakin went over to dote on his newborn son.  He helped the medical droid clean the baby and he cut the cord before finally holding the baby, marveling at the curious blue eyes that so much resembled his own.

                “I guess you were right, Padmé,” Anakin said as he brought the baby up to his wife.  “We have a little boy.”

                Padmé smiled up at Anakin and their baby tiredly, refusing to take the baby when Anakin went to hand him to her.  “I just have a feeling this isn’t quite over yet.”

                “Of course it’s not,” the Jedi Healer said matter-of-factly, looking at the others in the room perplexedly.  “There’s still one more baby to go.”

                The room went silent, save for the soft cries of the little blonde newborn, as they heard that.  As Padmé hadn’t been receiving proper prenatal care, they knew nothing of the second baby growing inside of her.

                “That would explain the abnormally strong Force signature, even for the baby of the Chosen One…”  Obi-Wan pondered aloud.

                Soon it was time for Padmé to push again and Anakin handed off the baby to Obi-Wan.  Anakin returned to where he’d been standing before, not wanting to miss the birth of his second child.  The second little brown haired baby came out much more quickly than the little blonde one had, and soon Anakin was handing Padmé their second child.

                “I told you we were going to have a girl.”  Anakin sat on the edge of his wife’s hospital bed, gently taking the little blonde boy back in his arms.  He reached out to Padmé through the Force, checking one last time to make sure she was really going to be okay and to his delight he was!  He couldn’t believe it; he had his wife, two beautiful children, and his two best friends there to help celebrate the occasion.  It was hard to believe that it wasn’t really all that long ago that he’d had felt himself slipping into darkness.

                “I can’t believe we made these…” Padmé marveled as she tentatively reached out to touch her baby’s tiny brown curl.  She looked up at her husband, smiling at the sight of his holding their other child.  She then turned to look at Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, reiterating what she’d just said in a voice that showed just how exhausted she was, “We made these.”

                “They’re beautiful, Padmé,” Obi-Wan smiled softly.

                “They’re perfect,” Ahsoka agreed, a soft smile gracing her face as well.  “Do they have names?”

                The new parents looked at each other, the looks they were giving each other making it obvious that, no, the babies did not have names.  Not officially, anyways.  They had tossed around ideas before, but had decided they’d make that decision when it was closer to the due date.  With all the events that had transpired recently, though, they hadn’t the time to do so.

                “I always really liked the name Leia,” Ahsoka chimed in, trying to be helpful.  She walked over to Padmé, wanting to get a closer look at the child she was holding.  She gently stroked the baby’s cheek, chuckling as the child attempted to suckle on her finger.

                “Leia…” Anakin repeated, testing the name out at he looked down at his daughter.  “She does look like a Leia.”

                “Leia,” Padmé echoed, testing the name out herself and deciding that she agreed; their daughter really did look like a Leia.  “Then her name shall be Leia.”  She looked at the child a moment, visibly contemplating.  “Leia Shmi Skywalker.”

                Anakin stiffened, not expecting that suggestion from his wife.  He was not about to let himself cry, not when he was that tired and weak.  Chances were, if he started he might not have been able to stop until he surrendered to sleep.  “I think that’s a wonderful name,” he choked out quickly, quickly becoming enamored with his son once again as a distraction.  “What about this little guy?”  His gaze shifted to former master, an expectant glint in his eyes.

                Obi-Wan was taken aback as Padmé and Ahsoka turned to him with the same look as well.  “You want _me_ to come up with a name for him?”

                “It’s only fair, Obi-Wan,” Ahsoka teased, her sass as strong as ever.  “I helped them name Leia, so you need to help them name the other baby.”

                “I don’t think that’s quite how this works…”  Obi-Wan was actually flattered by this proposal that he helped name the baby.  He stood silently a moment, thinking long and hard about an appropriate name for that child.  He walked over to Anakin, requesting that he held the baby as he was deep in thought.  “Luke?  Does he look like a Luke to you?”

                Anakin smiled, nodding.  “Luke.”  He yawned, fully realizing just how tired he was.  He was still injured fairly bad, so after Obi-Wan and Ahsoka maneuvered his bed to be closer to Padmé’s, Anakin crawled back into it and decided to rest.  He and Padmé fell asleep, each of them with a baby in their arms.


	11. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I'd have this up the next day, and I did! Yay! It's really short, but it is just an epilogue after all. Pure fluff and happiness, because I'm a sucker for happy endings and these characters deserve happiness. Especially Obi-Wan because he just suffers... so... fucking... much.  
> Anyways! That's the end! I've really enjoyed writing this story. It reawakened my love of writing, and now I have all these ideas and it's fantastic and! And! Well, I want to thank everyone for reading! I can't deny another reason my spark is part is due in part to y'all's praise and encouragement! Thank you!  
> I hope you all enjoyed the story and especially this epilogue of fluffiness.

                The Lake Country of Naboo was beautiful this time of year.  True, it was always beautiful, but it was always more beautiful in the late springtime.  Everything was freshly bloomed and the sun was shining, making the lake that Padmé and Anakin were observing from the balcony of their Lake Retreat sparkle.  The pair were leaning on the balcony railing, Anakin’s flesh hand pulling Padmé close to him.  Between the war and the fact that they had to hide their relationship for most of its duration, these kinds of moments were rare for them. However, despite the fact that they had Force sensitive twins to take care of, these quiet moments happened much more often.  This was partially due to the fact that they weren’t raising their twins alone.

                Their silence was interrupted as the balcony doors opened, a frantic Obi-Wan walking out, holding a screaming infant.  It never ceased to tickle Anakin that there was something that actually caused Obi-Wan to visibly panic; he was especially happy that the only things that could do that were his crying, irritable infants.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but-“ Obi-Wan held out a red-faced infant Luke Skywalker.  “I can’t get him to stop crying!”  His voice was actually cracking.  “I tried everything! I even tried to use the Force to calm him and nothing works!!!”

                Padmé smiled, looking back at Obi-Wan.  “You haven’t learned their cries yet, Obi-Wan?” she teased; both of the child’s parents knew what Luke wanted the instant they heard his cry. “He’s just hungry.”  She left the balcony, grabbing her child and going into the lake house, finding a comfortable place to sit while she nursed Luke.

                “What?” Obi-Wan snapped half-playfully, half-seriously at Anakin as he noticed the smug grin spreading across his former apprentice’s face

                “I just never thought there’d be something that I can handle yet you can’t.”  Anakin laughed.  “I never expected the thing to cause you to actually panic would be a being that weighs less than ten pounds and can’t even use a weapon of any kind.”

                “Don’t tease me, Anakin.  I didn’t have to come here on my Meditation Retreat to help you and Padmé with the babies,” Obi-Wan said haughtily.

                “You know I appreciate this, Obi-Wan.”  Anakin’s cocky grin became a genuine smile.  “Besides, we both know you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”  Indeed, this were true.  He tried to deny how much he loved the babies the second he saw their little faces.  His resolve broke quickly.  All it took was one comment made by Padmé, referring to Obi-Wan as the babies “Uncle Obi” and he could no longer deny how smitten he was with said babies.

It took everything in Obi-Wan to phrase his demand to go on a Meditation Retreat at a request.  Fortunately, the Council had no qualms about Obi-Wan going on retreat, citing Obi-Wan’s efforts to the war as reason for this vacation.  They didn’t vocalize that they all knew there was no way they could deny Obi-Wan access to his friend’s children.  They didn’t vocalize their evolving views on attachment causing them to see how important it was for all involved that Obi-Wan spend this precious time with the Skywalker family. The Council also decided to postpone discussion on what they were going to do with Anakin until the couple came back to Coruscant, not wanting to cast judgement until they knew how the Code was to be changed.

                With peace returning to the galaxy, Ahsoka also decided she could shirk her responsibilities as well and join Anakin and Padmé on their trip to Naboo, where the couple intended to stay for at least six months so they could receive help from Padmé’s family.  Admittedly, with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka around they didn’t need much help, but Padmé took comfort in having her parents and sister to go to for advice on what to do when a new issue arose.

                Obi-Wan smiled at Anakin, affectionately grabbing his shoulder before returning to the house.  This left Anakin alone with his thoughts as he walked back to the balcony ledge and thought back to the last few years. He remembered the time Padmé and he had spent in that same house, falling in love.  He remembered his time in the Clone Wars with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka by his side.  He smiled, happy that the two he had truly considered to be his siblings were there to help the young Skywalker family.

                He then remembered Sheev Palpatine and how for over a decade he had been groomed to become a Sith apprentice without his knowledge.  His smiled faded as he remembered the pain caused by that man.  He was beginning to understand, logically, that his confusion and anger didn’t completely have to do with the Sith Lord’s manipulations, but also because of the Jedi Council’s lack of faith, as well as his own past as a slave.  He felt that because of these things that a small bit of darkness would always be a part of him and he was beginning to realize that maybe that was alright.  After all, to be angry, and to hurt, and to be passionate were to be human and they were definitely part of Anakin.

                He didn’t know if the Jedi Council were going to allow him to stay in the Order.  He was starting to contemplate if that were even something he wanted anymore.  He knew he would leave the Order if they requested he chose between them and his family, but if he were to stay a lot of things would have to change.  They couldn’t simply bend the rules for the Chosen one.  They’d have to change the rules, because attachments weren’t as bad as they made it out to be.  Attachments were the very thing that had saved Anakin from the Dark side.

                Anakin was drawn out of his thoughts as the balcony doors opened and his wife joined him, both of their babies in her arms.  She gently handed Anakin one of the babies, making sure to keep Luke close to her.  Anakin held Leia in his metal hand, once again pulling Padmé close with his flesh hand.  He looked down at his wife and his children and felt a certain sense of peace.  For the first time in a long time, perhaps even for the first time ever, Anakin was truly happy.


End file.
